Hugh Bowman has won countless black type races since his first Wyong Cup win on Pecan Player in the year 2000, but there wouldn't have been better rides than the one he produced to get Beyond Thankful home on Friday.
While Bowman gave Beyond Thankful a peach of a ride to win his second Wyong Cup and Chris Waller's fifth, Sam Clipperton was left giving stewards excuses about equal favourite Havana Cooler, which ran last.
But to the winner went the spoils and it was Bowman at his best owning the race.
Beyond Thankful jumped from the outside gate coursed down the middle of the track in the straight the first time, then worked to the outside the leader, Cafe Society, at the 1500m mark and from there he made it a staying test.
"I was confident coming here and wasn't that worried where I was because my horse got into a beautiful rhythm. I just took my time to get there [outside the leader]," Bowman said.
"By that time Kerrin [McEvoy on Cafe Society] had done all the work. He wanted to steady up but after about a furlong I knew it wasn't what I wanted, and I got going again.
"He is just very tough. Coming to the turn I was very happy and then when they come at him he had another kick."
Beyond Thankful had put the sprint into the race at the 800m but he was too strong for the chasers with Just As Cosmic running into second a half length away and Orbec a nose back in third.
"It is good to win another Cup here because it is special place to me because of that first big win I had here [as an apprentice]," Bowman said.
Havana Cooler didn't handle the turning track at Wyong and dropped to finished last but Clipperton said he "got disunited" coming out of the back straight.
"Coming to the 600m he changed legs in front but didn't change behind. He was disunited and from there on we were turning," Clipperton said. "He just didn't handle the track. He needs a big track"
Just As Cosmic backed up her second in the Taree Cup with another game effort.
"She is still learning what staying is about and there is a nice race in her," trainer James Coyle said.
Orbec was probably the unlucky runner as he finished third. He appeared to knuckle coming out of the gate and lost his balance. Tye Angland did a good job to stay on but and at a crucial stage he couldn't get to the outside and eventually went back to the inferior ground on the fence in the straight.
"I wanted to get to the outside at 700m but couldn't get there, coming into the straight I had to go back to the fence, which is where I didn't want to be," Angland said. "It was super run really, if I got to the outside I think I win."
Earlier, Christian Reith made the most of a pick up ride on Vergara, which took out the Mona Lisa Stakes and was part of a wining treble for Anthony Cummings.
