Racing first-up since finishing third over 1400m at Flemington last December, Tashbeeh raced towards the rails side through the first half before accelerating into the lead inside the final 150m to win the Listed VRC Straight Six by three-quarters of a length.
Gary Fennessy, representing the Hayes / Dabernig training partnership, said he
was surprised to see the five-year-old entire racing so close to the lead."I was a bit surprised he was that close to them early, I thought they'd be a bit quick for him," Fennessy said.
"I think he'll head towards the Winter Championship series but Dave (Hayes) and the boys will work that out."
Tashbeeh showed he was feeling well by winning a jumpout at Flemington eight days ago and Fennessy said it was satisfying to win a Listed race with the Shadwell Stud-owned son of Commands.
"He's always been an impressive looking horse and he usually wins a couple of races each preparation," Fennessy said.
"He's very genuine and very tough, he deserves to win a feature race."
A $520,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Shadwell from the Tyreel Stud draft, Tashbeeh has won seven races and over $460,000, but this is his first Black Type win.
He is the best of two winners from More Valour, a half-sister by More Than Ready (USA) to Group II winners Timbourina, Media and stakes-winner Cardinal Virtue.
In the previous race, six year-old Encosta de Lago gelding De Little Engine captured his first stakes victory when taking out the Listed VRC Andrew Ramsden Stakes over 3200 metres by four and a half lengths under 58.5 kg.
His trainer Danny O'Brien said the switch in training location to his beachside
property at Barwon Heads had paid dividends."Both him and Second Bullet have been at Barwon Heads all autumn and it's really agreed with them," O'Brien said.
"We just changed things up with him (De Little Engine) this campaign, he's barely been at Flemington.
"He's been doing a lot more beach work and he's racing in career best form, I think he's found a length or two."
De Little Engine had not won in four previous starts over 3200m and no horse had carried more than 58kg to victory in the event but O'Brien said he was confident going into the race.
"It looked his race and he laid up closer than he has in the past. Daniel was happy to save the ground along the fence and when he opened up in the straight he outstayed them," O'Brien said.
"This is probably his standard - we ran him through the spring and it just gets tougher and tougher. We might keep him going, there's a two mile race in Sydney in a couple of weeks time if he comes through this well."
De Little Engine was a modest $47,500 Inglis Weanling Sale purchase for Uluru Stud from the Amarina Farm draft and has won nine races and over $730,000 in prizemoney.
He is the only winner to date for Group I VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Miss, whose current yearling, a filly by all Too Hard made $100,000 at the NZB Premier Yearling Sale this year when bought by Pat Carey.
