It might not carry Group I status, but with ten of the 15 runners being Group I winners, the $5million MRC All Star Mile (1600m) produced a great contest with four year-old Pierro gelding Regal Power claiming a memorable victory over his stablemate Superstorm.
First and second over the line are both homebreds for Bob and Sandra Peters trained by Grant and Alana Williams that arrived from Perth last month with the goal of winning this race.
Already a Group I winner in his home state taking out the WATC Railway Stakes (1600m) in December, Regal Power was the number one contender with three year-old Superstorm more of a travelling mate, but on the day it mattered they finished one/ two with less than a length between them.
Regal Power was ridden by champion Perth jockey William Pike, who partnered the horse at his previous run when second in the Group I VRC Australian Cup.
“I wasn’t at my best last start, so this goes some way to atone for that,” Pike said.
“I was waiting for that mid-race steady which I’ve found in pretty much every race I’ve ridden here so far, but it just didn’t come.
"The Williams' camp, I think right now, I think no one is training better than them.
"Honestly their record in big races is just amazing. Mr Peters, the way he is able to find good horses year after year keeps us all in form and keeps us all looking good."
This trip east is the first where Grant and Alana Williams have been entrusted with the job of preparing the Peters’ horses with previous stakes contenders sent from the stable into the care of other Eastern State trainers proving unsuccessful.
"At the end of the day, I think Bob was getting a bit pissed off with the horses coming back (to Perth) like they were too so I rang him after the Cox (Plate) and said 'Listen Bob, these are our horses too. We're a team and how about we do it together' and that's what we've done,” Grant Williams said.
"He's (Peters) been super to us. We couldn't be where we are without him so it's great he's given us this opportunity."
Regal Power and Superstorm collected nearly $3million for their quinella in the world’s richest turf mile .
Regal Power has the overall record of seven wins and seven placings from 20 starts with earnings of $3.7million.
He is the third winner from stakes-winning Redoute's Choice mare Broadway Belle and is a full brother to Group II WATC Derby winner Action.
He is also a brother-in-blood to the Peters homebreds Arcadia Queen, winner of the Group I WATC Kingston Town Classic and Arcadia Prince, winner of the Group III WATC Scahill Stakes.
Broadway Belle has been a regular visitor to Coolmore and has a two year-old colt by Vancouver that was passed in short of his $500,000 reserve at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and has been named Vanman.
Broadway Belle has a yearling filly by American Pharoah (USA) and a weanling filly by Pierro.
The star producer was one of 217 mares covered last spring at a fee of $88,000 by Pierro, who has swept to the lead on the Australian General Sires List with progeny earnings topping $12million.
