Stephen Farley's decision to concentrate on Melbourne with Sincero this year paid immediate dividends when the tough gelding claimed Saturday's New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.The dual Group 1 winner scored his first win since the George Main Stakes last September when he produced a dominant display in the $220,000 Group 2.Wyong-based Farley has elected to campaign exclusively in Melbourne this spring, having raced in Sydney before travelling down in 2011, and he said t

Stephen Farley's decision to concentrate on Melbourne with Sincero this year paid immediate dividends when the tough gelding claimed Saturday's New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

The dual Group 1 winner scored his first win since the George Main Stakes last September when he produced a dominant display in the $220,000 Group 2.

Wyong-based Farley has elected to campaign exclusively in Melbourne this spring, having raced in Sydney before travelling down in 2011, and he said the lessons learned from his initial Melbourne sojourn had proved crucial to this year's preparation.

"I learnt a lot last year, it was a big learning curve for the horse and myself and I just hope we're going to have a really good spring because of it," Farley said.

"You've got to get here and adapt to the weather and get him on the right leg, get him going the right way. We can do it at home, but under race pressure it's hard to do.

"This win will be a confidence booster for the horse. He's back."

Sincero exerted a class edge to power to what jockey Michael Rodd said was, "in the end a soft win'.

After being best to begin, Rodd was content to settle just off the pace and although he end up three horses back along the fence, he was able to edge away rounding the home bend and get to the outside.

The son of Umatilla, who started favourite at $3.60, let down impressively from the 250m to claim the lead and then surge away for a two-length win over Happy Trails ($13). Lawrence Stakes winner Second Effort ($19) was 1-1/4 lengths away in third spot.

"I was a little bit worried at one stage that he was floating, but then as soon as I gave him one around the tail he really lengthened out," said Rodd, who celebrated a winning double having won the first race aboard Bloomingdale Miss.

"He's just such a lovely mover, you just can't talk highly enough about the horse. He gave me a great feel today and it looks like he's going to be in for a good campaign."

That will continue in the $400,000 Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on 22 September. The $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, in which Sincero finished ninth last year, is Farley main spring goal.

"He's competitive against (Cox Plate favourite) More Joyous this horse," he said. "We know we've got the horse, we've just got to have him right on the day."

As always in a Memsie Stakes, there were numerous fine runs by Cups and Cox Plate contenders behind the placegetters.

Green Moon flashed home along the inside to finish fifth, Peter Moody-trained import Voila Ici stuck on for sixth after racing on the pace, while 2010 Melbourne Cup runner-up Maluckyday worked to the line solidly in eighth.

Rekindled Interest finished 10th, but didn't have a lot of room over the concluding 200m, while Perth visitor Luckygray (11th), who was well-backed to start $3.90 second elect, settled back and was never a factor. (www.racingvictoria.net.au)