Such is the dominance of Bob and Sandra Peters in the west, it's quite remarkable that the last time his pink and white silks enjoyed success in the $100,000 Listed WAROA-Belmont Guineas (1600m) came a decade ago with Cohort.
Their More Than Ready (USA) gelding State Prosecutor wasn't favoured to change that statistic on Saturday and for a long while that looked to be the case.
Defying the on-pace bias, State Prosecutor stormed home from last under Willie Pike to win by a head from the favourite Roganella with the Snitzel filly Necklet a half-length back in third.
It was the first stakes win for the Grant and Alana Williams-trained gelding, advancing his record to 3 wins, 1 second and 4 thirds from 14 starts with earnings of $121,810.
Bob Peters said he had all but given up hope of State Prosecutor figuring in the finish.
"He was having a lot of trouble keeping up and I thought to myself 'hopefully he will be a stayer next year'," Peters told RWWA.
"Maybe he goes better being left alone and being able to do his own thing.
"He gets upset with other horses sometimes and gets his head up in the air.
"Today he just had a free-flowing run and that might have been the difference."
The Peters homebred is the third foal and second winner out of the smart Flying Spur mare Significant, a stakes-placed winner of four races, who visited More Than Ready (USA) in her first five seasons at stud.
State Prosecutor might have been an afterthought as Significant was covered by More Than Ready (USA) after she had missed to Encosta de Lago.
A half-sister to Group II Perth Cup winner and Group 1 WATC Derby third Crown Prosecutor (Grand Lodge), Significant has an unraced 2yo gelding by More Than Ready (USA) named True Attraction and a yearling gelding by the Vinery stalwart.
She had a switch-up in 2016 when covered by Pierro, the result of which is a weanling filly and she was covered by the champion son of Lonhro again last season.
State Prosecutor becomes the 186th stakes-winner for More Than Ready (USA) (pictured ) who will shortly embark on his 18th trip to Vinery Stud where his fee has been set at $66,000.
