Beauty’s Beast and James McDonald combined to hold off stirring challenges from Pythagorean and Amovatio to win the $85,000 The ‘HQ Of Insurance’ Benchmark 95 at Rosehill.

McDonald had Beauty’s Beast out leading to the final term and heading into the main straight for the run home they had a handy length lead racing two off the rails.

Then the last start Goulburn Cup winner Pythagorean and McEvoy started their run through the gap inside and these two went away for a stride by stride fight.

Cassidy started his challenge with Amovatio down the middle of the track and they closed rapidly. Drifting across to the two in front they were all line abreast at the line.

Just as it momentarily appeared that Amovatio had the bob of the head there was a pause as the judge checked the photo finish and it was apparent that Beauty’s Beast in the middle had the win with the margin a nose.

Amovatio (Al Maher) was second with Pythagorean (Oasis Dream) third, the margin a long head.

The time was 1.24.45 on the Soft 6 track with the final 600m in 35.88. Beauty’s Beast paid $5.60 on the tote and $5.50 on fixed odds.

“He is a good horse and Danny has done a great job on him and targeting him up here. Obviously they were not going to give it to me easily and made me do it the hard way, but he dug deep and it definitely had a lot of merit to it,” said McDonald.

Beauty’s Beast was last seen in Sydney when winning the listed South Pacific Classic over 1400m at Randwick in April in his first run in Australia after previously racing across the Tasman for his breeders Windsor Park Stud.

He was then sold to clients of Danny O’Brien’s stable at Flemington. Back in Sydney with a rain impacted track the four-year-old gelding by the Windsor Park based Montjeu sire Guillotine, out of the Black Minnaloushe mare, was back at his fighting best.

The win was his sixth win from 14 starts and with two second places he has earned a stake of $48,750 for his owners Uluru Stud managed by JR Dimery, Ms J M Thomas, Mr K J Woolley, Andre & Andre managed by A Duncan, Turner and Keogh managed by Mrs K Duncan Mr J C Hitt, Mr S S Larkey, Mr C P Wylie, Mr R J Callister and Mrs L F Ashton.