Former German galloper Pakal defied the top weight of 60kg to win Sunday's $200,000 TAB Cranbourne Cup (2025m) courtesy of a brilliant ride from champion jockey Glen Boss. In a vintage edition of the race, Boss produced a rails-hugging ride to overcome a field packed with quality gallopers, reports Racing Victoria.

Withdrawn from the BMW Caulfield Cup after being among the second acceptances, trainer Mick Price said it was fantastic to get such a great result with Pakal who was one of the first imports into his stable.

“I’ve really enjoyed training these imports. You have to read them a bit but I’m really enjoying having them in the stable,” Price said.

“He’s a stayer with a turn of foot. He’s clean-winded, he’s sound and he doesn’t take a lot of work.

“We never intended to give him too hard of a Spring which is why we didn’t accept in the Caulfield Cup.”

After beginning well from the inside barrier, Boss positioned Pakal ($6-$4.60) in a midfield position before trying to get off the rail approaching the home turn only to be blocked for clear running.

Switching back to the fence as the field straightened for home, Boss drove Pakal through a narrow opening where he quickly bridged the gap on the swoopers out in the middle of the track before racing away to record a 2.3 length win.

Sertorius ($10) finished strongly after making a sustained run around the field to finish in second position, narrowly ahead of Mourinho ($15) who battled on gamely to hold third ahead of Bel Thor ($26) and Star Rolling ($3F) in a four-way finish for the minor placings.

Likely to now head towards the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington should he pull up favourably from today’s run, Boss predicted bigger things were in store for the five-year-old.   

“He’s shown us very good ability at home but he just hasn’t had the chance to shine and today was his chance,” Boss said.

“This was the best field that we’ve ever assembled for a Cranbourne Cup and he made them look second rate, he beat them easily.

“Nobody has seen his true ability on race day just yet, I’ve seen it on gallop mornings but unfortunately we haven’t actually had the chance to see what he is capable of doing.”

The victory was the second on the ten-race program for Boss who earlier partnered the Robert Smerdon-trained Noble Star to win the $20,000 Cranbourne Holden Handicap (2025m).

In the other feature event on the ten-race program, the $100,000 Procon Developments Apache Cat Classic (1000m), trainer Stephen Brown trained the first leg of a running double when veteran sprinter Canali led from start to finish for Stephen Baster.

The win was the seven-year-old’s first since December 2011, with Brown then going on to combine with apprentice Patrick Moloney to claim the final event on the card, the $30,000 Chandler Macleod Showcase (1400m), with promising stayer Post D’France.

Click here to view the full list of results for the TAB Cranbourne Cup or the rest of today’s Cranbourne program