It was shades of last Saturday's Chelmsford Stakes when Winx chased down Red Excitement but on this occasion, at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, the hare never got caught.
It was the final event at what, up until then had been a standard midweek meeting at Warwick Farm but the race developed into one of the most exciting events you would ever see when the Amanda Turner and Mauro Poletti-trained Art Of Excellence ($6) charged out of the barriers to set a cracking pace under jockey Peter Wells.
The five-year-old was let stride by Wells to lead the second horse by an at least 12-lengths mid-race
Coming into the straight the gelding still held an eight length margin on his nearest rival, giving flashbacks of Red Excitement only four days earlier at Randwick.
The post was looming for Art Of Excellence but the chasers were now charging by the 200m and it seemed inevitable they would pick up the tearaway that was now on his last legs.
Peter and Paul Snowden's Royal Navy ($2.90 fav) dived and appeared to hit the lead right on the post but the head-up-head-down finish actually went the way of Art Of Excellence and he was able to prevail by the shortest of margins.
Watch the vision below:
How good was that!!! Tearaway leader Art Of Excellence JUST clings on to win the last at #WarwickFarm. pic.twitter.com/z2JpCtv2lr
— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) 6 September 2017
It was heart in your mouth stuff, and no good for favourite backers, but what a race!
