The finals of the $125,000 HRNSW Pepper Tree Farm Breeders Challange were dominated in a lot of cases by a prohibitive favourite today but that wasn't the case with the three year old colts and geldings final at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
The Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen trained Kept Under Wraps was the favourite but two defeats in his last two starts to horses involved in todays final meant no one was super confident of the outcome.
Nathan Jack sent the Amanda Turnbull trained Mouse In The House to the front early before handing up to Mark Purdon and Kept Under Wraps after 600 metres.
Mark Purdon was able to back the tempo off in the mid stages with a 61.9 first half of the last mile before upping the speed from the 800 metres mark.
Going down the back in 27.9 made it impossible for those back in the field to play a big part as the field turned for home.
Kept Under Wraps looked under siege half way up the straight with Mouse In The House challenging him hard on the inner and Pompidou and Robbie Morris flashing home wider on the track after having a lovely trip in the one by one the whole race.
Kept Under Wraps kept giving for Mark Purdon and at the line still had a half head to spare from Pompidou with Mouse In The House close up in third.
The son of Bettor's Delight paced the 2400 metres in 2:55.1, a mile rate of 1:57.4 with closing sectionals of 55.6 and 27.7.
Often the bridesmaid in big races, todays win was the seventh lifetime for Kept Under Wraps and took his earnings over the $200,000 mark.
It also completed a stellar day for the All Star Racing Stables with three of the six $125,000 Group 1 finals falling to the Kiwi training barn.
Harnesslink Media