It's A Dundeel has taken out the richest race ever to be run in Sydney, the $4million Group I Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick.
Saturday's feature promised a lot with nine of the 12 runners Group I winners in the race.
It's A Dundeel hadn't won a race since claiming the scalp of Atlantic Jewel but was placed in all three lead-up runs this time in.
"The plan has always been this race, to have him peaking for the race today," trainer Murray Baker said.
"His work on Tuesday was nothing short of sensational and we knew we'd see the real It's A Dundeel here."
The son of High Chaparral sat third on the fence trailing Carlton House, who ran the field along at a good clip.
"I knew after that gallop on Tuesday he'd be ready to run the race of his life," jockey James McDonald said.
McDonald pulled It's A Dundeel off the fence to set out after Carlton House in the early part of the straight with the pair holding off a late surge from Sacred Falls.
"He was too strong and that's what we've been waiting for. He's a champion racehorse when he's at his top and we saw that today."
The race wasn't without controversy with Racing NSW stewards announcing It's A Dundeel had slipped over in his raceday stall an hour before the main race.
Kiwi mare Silent Achiever travelled well in the run to finish fourth while Royal Descent came from the tail of the field to finish fifth.
The Chris Waller-trained Boban bled and will spend the mandatory three months on the sidelines
It's A Dundeel ($4.40) defeated the Chris Waller-trained Sacred Falls ($11) by three-quarters of a length with three lengths to the Gai Waterhouse-trained Carlton House ($8) in third.
The market: It's A Dundeel eased from $3.60 to $4.40 with Sacred Falls $9.50 out to $11. The third placegetter Carlton House was $5.50 to $8. Outside the top three, Boban eased from $13 to $15 but firmed back into $13 while Silent Achiever was $4.60 to $4.80 and back into $4. The market closed at 111 percent.