The Group II Western Australian Guineas winner Man Booker has not been a factor in three runs at the highest level in Brisbane this winter, but he paid for expenses when dropped back in class in Saturday's $175,000 Listed Eye Liner Stakes (1350m) at Ipswich, which saw him become Australia's latest equine millionaire.
Given a peach of a ride by Blake Shinn, the 6yo son of Discorsi defeated the outsider Astoria (Medaglia d'Oro) by a neck with Chapter And Verse (Rothesay) a length back in third. (image Racing Queensland)
Winning trainer Daniel Moreton said it came as a relief.
"It's not the race we came for but it's a good consolation prize that's for sure, he said.
"I've never raced at Ipswich, I'm one from one so it's a happy hunting ground.
"He looked like he was in the sweet spot in running, where we hadn't quite been able to get to in the big ones, but he showed his class today.
"I think I'll take him home now and give me a spell in the paddock and bring him back for the summer carnival in Perth."
The win continued the great form of Shinn since basing himself in Brisbane for the winter carnival.
"I know Dan had really big wraps on this horse for the three Group One's without things panning out, so I was happy to jump on," Shinn said.
"We travelled sweetly the trip and he found plenty when challenged late."
With his seventh stakes win, Man Booker advances his record to 11 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 26 starts with earnings of $1,056,680.
That's a good return on the $25,000 his trainer outlaid to secure him from the Korilya Stud draft at the 2014 Magic Millions Perth Winter Yearling Sale.
A half-brother to dual Listed Stakes winner and Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes third Achernar Star (Gingerbread Man) and stakes-placed Atacama Sky (Scandal Keeper), Man Booker is one of four winners from five to race out of the unraced Danetime mare Morine who died in October 2015.
Man Booker is the lone Stakes winner for Galileo's VRC Gibson Carmichael Stakes winner Discorsi who stood for five seasons before his death in February 2015.
