Progressive gallopers Academus and Complicate capped off a very successful week for Team Darley when landing the quinella in the final race on Thousand Guineas day.
In what was just a little over an hour after champion filly Guelph stamped herself as the best filly in the land Complicate proceeded to improve off his first up victory when edging out his stablemate Academus.
With both settling well back off the speed it appeared a foregone conclusion that they would fight out the finish rounding the home turn with both gallopers looming up strongly to the race leaders.
Complicate hit the front strongly early in the straight and was able to hold off his stablemate over the concluding stages.
"He travelled really sweetly in the run, he was in a nice position and got a nice cart into the race," McDonald said.
"He was always going to be hard to beat turning for home, he really attacked the line like a good horse."
Peter Snowden was very pleased with both horses' performances and was pleased to see Complicate improve his racing manners this time in."They are two nice horses who are very lightly raced and their form reads really well," Snowden said.
"It's been great just how much he's [Complicate] relaxed since he's been here, he used to be his own worst enemy last preparation.
"He used to over race and was always quite keen but he relaxed perfectly today and gave a good kick at the end, he's a nice horse."
Having to concede three-and-a-half kilograms to his stablemate, Snowden was very pleased with Academus's return and said he appears on track for a return trip to Perth this time in.
"He'll go to Perth at this stage, he did well there last season, his preparation will entail two runs in Melbourne and two runs in Perth and on today's run I think he is right on target," Snowden said.
"He's [Academus] only one notch below the top level, however this is really only his second preparation and he's learnt to race better now just whether or not he'll keep improving its hard to really put a lid on him."
