Feature races have been a regular soft snap for the all-conquering C-Team - trainer Tony Cruz and jockey Felix Coetzee - but yesterday it was one of the stable's lesser lights who stood up to be counted when there was silverware up for grabs.
Noble Crusader, a well-backed $39.50 second favourite, was given the classic Coetzee treatment for the first 800 metres of the $1 million Yan Chai Trophy and packed too many guns in the run home for the late-closing Firm Offer (Shane Dye) and luckless Expectations (Eric Saint-Martin).
Cruz took over the training of Noble Crusader earlier this year, with the Danzero gelding having done his earlier racing out of the John Moore yard. Moore lost a Class Two horse but gained a Group One performer, Super Kid.
'I was very pleased to get this win today because, in all honesty, Noble Crusader is not a straight-forward horse,' Cruz said.
'He does have some health issues and did not scope completely clean after his barrier trial recently.
'So it may be that his first-up form will be his best. He certainly has a good record when fresh and these horses with internal weaknesses are often better in the early stages of a preparation.'