Dark Eyes too tough for Canberra Cup field

Trainer Gai Waterhouse has won back-to-back Canberra Cups with Dark Eyes continuing his rise through the grades to snare the $200,000 staying feature.

Waterhouse, who now trains alongside Adrian Bott, won last year’s Cup with Hippopus and sent Dark Eyes down the highway in search of more success in Sunday’s Listed 2000m-race at Thoroughbred Park.

While Dark Eyes was sent out the $3.60 favourite, the Lee and Anthony Freedman-trained Cool Chap ($4.60) loomed as the winner in the straight before racing erratically and losing momentum.

In a tough staying performance, Dark Eyes ran past Cool Chap with Coolcat Dancer ($11) filling the minor placing.

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Jockey Tim Clark teamed up with the stable for the 2016 Cup and again timed his run perfectly a year later.

“Darky, he’s never run a bad race, he just keeps trying,” stable representative Neil Paine said.

“The old Gai Waterhouse bone and muscle.

“Once Gai and Adrian’s horses hit the lead they’re hard to go past.”