The David Hayes-trained Eagle Falls cracked the million dollar barrier in earnings following a barnstorming victory in Saturday's Group III Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
With the scratching of the headstrong Here De Angels at the barrier, race favourite Karuta Queen bombed the start while Dwayne Dunn elected to take Eagle Falls back in the ruck as the Anthony Freedman-trained First Command to set the pace.
It was left to top-weight Eagle Falls (Hussonet (USA) x Desina (Desert King to finish best to deny First Command (Commands) consecutive stakes victories while the 3yo gelding Hot Spin (Spinning World) clung on for third.
This is obviously the time of year for Eagle Falls. The son of Hussonet (USA) (pictured) claimed the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate 12 months ago and that is his ultimate goal again this year.
"The Oakleigh Plate (is his target)," Hayes said. "The great one (Black Caviar) is not going on the handicap route so we are very happy about that."
"He was sick last preparation and we were playing catch-up. "This time we gave him a good spell and he's a brilliant track-worker and I thought if he reproduced he track work he would go very close today."
"He has been trained out of the paddock. "He has had a wind operation and when he got mucus in his throat it was doubly bad. Letting him get down every day with his head down has probably been the turnaround."
In 2010, Eagle Falls finished second to Wanted in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington before embarking on an overseas campaign that took in a fifth in the Golden Shaheen (G1) in Dubai and a fifth again in the International Sprint in Singapore.
A $170,000 purchase by Mark Pilkington from the Corumbene Stud consignment at the 2007 Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling sale, Eagle Falls is the second of five foals left by the winning Desert King mare Desina before her death in August 2011 shortly after foaling a colt by High Chaparral (IRE).
Desina is a daughter of the triple Listed stakes-winner Presina (Prego), herself a half-sister to dual Listed stakes winner The Golden Dane and the AJC Adrian Knox Stakes (G3) winner and AJC Oaks (G1) runner-up Seto Flowerian (Belotto) who was sent to Japan where she became the dam of Tiger Cafe who finished second in the Japanese 2000 Guineas.