Incentivise became the third-shortest favourite to win the Caulfield Cup in a dominant performance on Saturday.
Nonconformist and Persan rounded out the placings but, even from the widest barrier, Incentivise never looked in danger for trainer Peter Moody and jockey Brett Prebble.
The three-and-a-half length win continues an unbelievable year for the five-year-old gelding, who has now won nine consecutive races since breaking his maiden at the Sunshine Coast in April.
Take a look at the finish below.
WHAT AN INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE!
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 16, 2021
INCENTIVISE HAS WON THE CAULFIELD CUP! pic.twitter.com/BSFkmjXbc9
Most bookies had Incentivise a better than $2.50 chance at the jump, backing the horse to overcome the carpark draw.
Second-favourite Delphi was also drawn wide and eventually crossed to lead the race after the early stages, with Incentivise eventually slotting in two back.
Clearly confident in the horse's abilities, Prebble was happy to apply the pressure early on, moving up, along with Persan, to pass Delphi with 600m to run.
Incentivise took the lead from Persan into the Caulfield straight and looked the winner a long way out, leaving the rest to battle it out for the placings.
Since transferring to Moody's stable, Incentivise has won three straight Group 1s and has now been installed as Melbourne Cup favourite, while he sits on the third line of betting for next week's Cox Plate.
Incentivise had been previously bred, trained and owned by Toowoomba-based Steve Tregea, before a 50 per cent stake was purchased for $1.2 million ahead of a move to Moody's stable.
"It's unbelievable, Caulfield was my home for 16 or 17 years, trained a couple of thousand winners here but never this one, so very important to win it," Moody said.
"Very grateful for the opportunity thanks to Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir who laid the seed and purchased the horse and recommended that he come to my yard.
"And a big thanks to Steve Tregea and his team and his family... big shoutout to everyone up at Toowoomba and the Darling Downs, this one's for you."
After the race, Prebble suggested Incentivise would relish the two miles at Flemington next month.
"He came off the bridle a bit sooner than I would have liked and I showed him the whip before the home turn and all that's telling me is lookout Melbourne Cup," Prebble said.
"He's going to eat the 3200m."
