TWELVE months of frustration for trainer Con Karakatsanis ended in the Group One AAMI Stradbroke yesterday.
His fine gelding Black Piranha ($21) continued a stellar season for rider Nash Rawiller when he edged past Melito ($5.50) in the $1 million Group 1 race.
Last year Black Piranha won the Stradbroke on a heavy track. This time the surface was firm and Black Piranha had not won since that 2009 victory.
But Karakatsanis did not lose faith.
"He's just been the unluckiest horse for the past 12 months," he said. "He just had bad barriers and other things go wrong.
"But I knew he was starting to come right before the Doomben 10,000 and that run (into fourth place) just topped him off."
Rawiller has had nine Group 1 wins this season including two yesterday - on Pressday in the Racetree T.J. Smith and the Stradbroke.
He did have some concerns when Black Piranha was pushed wide by Whobegotyou on the home turn.
But once Black Piranha got his balance and started to lift, so did Rawiller's belief he could win the big race.
"From the 300m I really felt he was going to be in the finish and on the line I was sure he had won," he said.
Karakatsanis will give Black Piranha a break. A third Stradbroke tilt already has been marked in the calendar.
Black Piranha probably will have a shot at the Epsom Handicap at Randwick in September and then the program will be set for 2011 in Sydney and Brisbane.
"This has become a special race for me, so I'm keen to be back again next year," Karakatsanis said.
Black Piranha has won eight races and more than $2 million in prizemoney, so he will get a lot of weight in handicaps.
The son of Clang has shown he can perform in weight for age events and Karakatsanis will be chasing some of them.
Melito was magnificent - but she just has been about a half length off superstar status this campaign.
Since she won the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 10, Melito has run in four Group 1 sprints for three seconds and a third.
"I'm really proud of her. I must admit I'm surprised Black Piranha beat her, but I have to be really happy with the way she keeps putting in," trainer Gerald Ryan said.
Ryan has done a great job to maintain Melito's form in those five starts at the elite level, but now he has to do it again in a fortnight.
Melito is to run in the Group 1 Winter Stakes against her own sex, again at 1400m at Eagle Farm.
Mic Mac ($21) appreciated a return to handicap conditions to finish the closest of thirds.
Whobegotyou finished 11th while fellow Victorian Ortensia was third last.
Jockey Michael Rodd said Whobegotyou was in trouble on the home turn and he believed the sprinter jarred up on the hard track.
News Summary Page
His fine gelding Black Piranha ($21) continued a stellar season for rider Nash Rawiller when he edged past Melito ($5.50) in the $1 million Group 1 race.
