A four-year-old son of Hard Spun, Hardest Core, was yet to win in graded company, let alone the top grade, but he descended on a couple of well-performed internationals in Magician and Side Glance in the run home to take out the valuable prize.

Up With the Birds, Finnegans Wake, Smoking Sun, and Real Solution followed them in.

Trainer Edward Graham told of the hard road that Hardest Core had travelled to get to this day which included a visit to deaths door.

"Words can't explain what a great feeling this is," said Graham.

"He had a hernia up high and when they cut it, his intestines came out.

"We had to cut 15-18 feet (of his intestines), we didn't think he was going to make it. We finally got him up at New Bolton and two days later, he was in his feed tub again. He's tough.

"I looked at the Sword Dancer, looked at the Leger, all three races were tough, but thought a shorter field would be better and the horse was training so well.

"He doesn't know what he's going against, and he showed it today."