Cliff's Edge was too good in the Crystal Mile (Image: Racing Photos)
Darren Weir firmed-up his already strong hand for next Saturday's Group 1 Kennedy Mile at Flemington when Cliff's Edge broke the $1 million barrier for earnings with a strong on-pace win in the Schweppes Crystal Mile at The Valley.
Targeted by a number of punters as being the day's best bet away from Winx, the crowd warmed up for later in the afternoon by cheering him home at the cramped odds of $2.80 as he beat Prized Icon ($10) by half a length, with Duca Valentinios ($31) a short-half head away in third place.
Four-year-old Cliff's Edge has a prime opportunity to add a whole lot more to his earnings next week when he joins last-start winning stablemates Iconoclasm and Land Of Plenty in next Saturday's $1 million Kennedy Mile.
"He's got the perfect racing style," Weir said after the hard-fought victory.
"He'd be a great horse to own because he never runs badly. He makes his own luck up on the speed and he just controlled the race there.
"We were hoping to lead, that didn't happen but being outside the leader was fine and he just put himself into a position to win the race.
"Now that he's done a bit of racing, he had a fetlock chip removed, I think he appreciates a smidgen of cut out of the track but we got away with it today."
WATCH: Cliff's Edge's win
Weir is getting used to these big-race wins but his rider John Allen is still relatively new to winning Group races during the Spring Carnival.
"It was only three or four years ago I couldn't get rides at Wycheproof and now I'm riding winners at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate Day so a big thanks for Darren Weir and the rest of the team for having faith in me," Allen said.
The Irish jockey said he was confident of victory when he claimed a forward position in the run next to leader Siege Of Quebec.
"He jumped and we worked forward to get outside the leader," Allen explained.
"Once he got outside the leader he was pretty handy and I applied the pressure early enough because he's the sort of horse that likes a dog fight and wants to tough it out."