Just over 14 months ago Harper's Choice finished second to Jon Snow in the Group 1 ATC Austrian Derby and the world looked to be his oyster.
He had failed to win in nine starts since although punters thought Saturday's Listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens looked to be his race.
They were proved right, but not before being given a scare by Joe Pride's old warrior Destiny's Kiss.
Given a positive ride by Brenton Avdulla, Harper's Choice (image Steve Hart) had all his rivals off the bit rounding the home turn and look set for a dominant win.
Jay Ford had been hard at work on Destiny's Kiss for over 800 metres but the 9yo gelding began to cut into Harper's Choice's lead in the last 100 metres, however, the Gerald Ryan-trained son of Street Cry (IRE) held on to win by a half-length with the Chris Waller-trained Araaja two and a half lengths back in third.
Gerald Ryan's son Blake Ryan said Harper's Choice had paid a penalty for his derby second.
"You run horses out of their grade at three and if they don't win there's pretty much nowhere for them to go after that.
"He won a maiden Kembla, a midweek at Canterbury and ran second in a Derby and now he's getting 58kg-59kg in stakes races.
"But today looked his day after the scratchings and it was a great ride by Brenton."
"He's a great old horse that horse of Joe's. I thought he was going to run us down 150m out".
With his first stakes win, Harper's Choice advances his record to 3 wins, 6 seconds and 2 thirds from 21 starts with earnings of $627,400.
A homebred for Peter and Catherine Campbell's Bennelong Bloodstock, he is the third winner from the first four foals of the imported mare Oxigenada (ARG) who was a Group 1 winner in her native Argentina.
Oxigenada (ARG) has an unraced 2yo Zoustar filly named Zourhea who was purchased by David Raphael for $52,500 at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Not covered in 2015, Oxigenada (ARG) had a filly foal by More Than Ready (USA) last spring who died after birth. Oxigenada (ARG) was covered by Sebring.
Harper's Choice becomes the 119th stakes-winner for Darley Stud's champion stallion Street Cry (IRE) who died in September 2014.
