Gai Waterhouse staked her claim for back-to-back Provincial Stayers Championships at Gosford this afternoon with Charing Cross scoring in the Benchmark 75 Handicap.
Australia's leading female trainer won last year's crown with the ultra-impressive Tullamore and wasted no time showing off her 2012 army, which also includes Rain Drum who ran third in the same heat.
Chris Waller's Marden was sandwiched between the two Tulloch Lodge horses as runner-up, and for the second time in two days could only follow a Star Thoroughbreds runner across the line.
Marden was beaten by Kinnersley at Warwick Farm on Saturday.
Charing Cross joined John McNair's Dal Rommel and Jeff Englebrecht's Integrand atop the Racing NSW provincial stayers' points table after three heats, the next of which will be held at Kembla Grange on Sunday, March 25.
Waterhouse stable representative Mark Newnham said the horse had rebounded strongly from a disappointing last-start eighth at Rosehill.
“It was really good to see him bounce back today, I knew he'd appreciate being on the dry going,” Newnham said.
“He was under pressure a long way from home like most of them but he kept poking his head out.”
Jockey Peter Robl kept Charing Cross midfield for most of the race, and found a nice spot in behind Hugh Bowman's Rain Drum and Tommy Berry's Marden.
He eventually had his chance to let down and was too strong in the final dash to the line.
“Hughie had done a bit of work and Tommy had done a bit of work and we were probably the one that had the sit on both of them and it was our turn to chime in,” Robl of the final two furlongs.
“He chimed in well and toughed the race out well. He's a good tough horse.”
Meanwhile, Rosehill trainer Tim Martin enjoyed a fleeting throwback to one of his best ever horses when debutant Le Cap won the Maiden Handicap (1100m).
The son of Exceed And Excel, who Martin trained to victory in the 2004 Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m), jumped from the inside gate and held off a flying Gold Bender with A Bridge Too Far running a game third.
“He reminds me a lot of him [Exceed And Excel] actually,” Martin said after the win.
“The barrier won him the race. I anticipate he'll improve a lot out of that he was quite big in the enclosure.
“We've had a nice rap on him we paid a lot of money for him.
“He's always shown a hell of a lot, he's trialled really well it's good to see him win.”
