The talk in the lead up to Spring had all been about the clash between Verry Elleegant and another Neasham trained runner in Zaaki. However it would be stablemate Mo’unga who would claim bragging rights over Chris Waller’s Caulfield Cup winner.
Mo’unga was first up after his Autumn campaign which saw him win the G1 Rosehill Guineas and showed he was every bit a match for the older horses as the four year old battled all the way to the line and claimed the first G1 of the season.
The son of Savabeel had a tricky spell last season after being well-held in the Doncaster Mile and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes before injury forced a change of tactic for the stable.
However, Mo’unga was back to his best under the ride of Tommy Berry who steered the stallion into the straight and went on to grind out a victory against the drifting Verry Elleegant.
The Waller runner may have just needed the run first up and clearly looks on course for a big spring campaign once again.
Other notable performances were that of Bjorn Baker's She's Ideel and Japanese import Keiai Nautique who came flying down the outside late to finish off third and fourth in the final placings.
The race was marred by an incident at the 150m that saw Brandenburg suffer a broken leg.
Brandenburg's jockey Rachel King fell as a result but was cleared of any serious injuries, although she was stood down for the remainder of the day.