The favoured Hallowed Crown and Sweynesse found it hard to make an impression as Volkstok'n'barrell and a rejuvenated Group 1 Victoria Derby winner Preferment settled settled down to fight out the finish.
But it was the Donna Logan-trained Volkstok'n'barrell who proved the strongest under Craig Williams, edging out Preferment (Zabeel) by a long-head with Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) a length and a quarter back in third. (photo Lisa Grimm).
Logan's partner, Dean Logan, recently passed away after a battle with throat cancer.
"We got beaten in race two with Rising Romance and I thought 'oh no' I was starting to get my lip down a bit," Logan said.
"It's Dean's birthday today so thank God I did something right."
"It was a fantastic ride, Craig Williams does his homework.
"Credit to him, he rode the horse beautifully.
Logan said it was hard to rate the form in New Zealand compared to Australia.
"I was worried the form wouldn't hold up, we've won at home but when you get over here it's a different ball game. These guys are tough, they're good horses, so I was worried."
Craig Williams said Volkstok'n'barrell is a perfect derby type.
"I love this horse. I'm very fortunate that I got given the chance to ride him today," Williams said.
"I love the way that he went, he still feels like a big baby and I love how he closed the race off considering he was under pressure a fair way out."
"He's such a laid back customer, the way that he is, bring on the Derby."
Previously the winner of the Group II Great Northern Guineas and Listed Bonecrusher Stakes, Volkstok'n'barrell raced in the colours of Anthony Mithen's Rosemont Stud who had purchased a 20 percent share in the gelded son of Tavistock.
Logan had purchased Volkstok'n'barrell for $50,000 out of the Seton Park draft at the 2013 NZ Bloodstock Select Yearling sale.
He is the eighth foal of the winning Volksraad mare Volkster whose dam Row of Mapperley (Long Row) is a sister to Group 1 Doomben 10000 winner Getting Closer.
Volkstok'n'barrell comes from the first crop of Cambridge Stud's dual Group 1 winner Tavistock and becomes his first Group 1 winner.
The son of Montjeu is a stablemate of the pensioned Zabeel, the sire of runner-up Preferment so it was another great result for Cambridge Stud.
