Banana Man landed his third country Cup of the season when he carried topweight of 58.5kg to an impressive victory in the Listed Mornington Cup.Trainer Mick Kent said that watching Wednesday's $200,000 2400m feature he thought jockey Brad Rawiller had made his run too soon."The dangers were coming from behind him and I was thinking he had gone too early," Kent said.However Banana Man, who won the Bendigo Cup (2400m) in November and the Colac Cup (2000m) under 60.5kg at his previous start on Febr

Banana Man landed his third country Cup of the season when he carried topweight of 58.5kg to an impressive victory in the Listed Mornington Cup.

Trainer Mick Kent said that watching Wednesday's $200,000 2400m feature he thought jockey Brad Rawiller had made his run too soon.

"The dangers were coming from behind him and I was thinking he had gone too early," Kent said.

However Banana Man, who won the Bendigo Cup (2400m) in November and the Colac Cup (2000m) under 60.5kg at his previous start on February 8, was simply too classy.

Rawiller said his mount was travelling so easily that going early was no issue.

"I was further back than I wanted to be but he was relaxed and I was pretty confident when we got to the front," he said.

Backed from $3.10 to start $2.80 favourite, Banana Man settled midfield before travelling sweetly into the race coming to the turn and bursting clear in the straight.

The Desert King five-year-old held on to score by three-quarters of a length from Capecover ($16), who swept home late, with Sooze ($7) a nose away third.

Kent must now decide whether to take Banana Man to New Zealand for the $1 million Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 4 or go for the Group Two $400,000 Adelaide Cup over the same trip at Morphettville on March 9.

"I'll take him where I think he can win," Kent said.

"I like him as a two-miler. He's an improving, progressive horse.

"He was a very immature as a young horse, he was all legs and no body, but he's grown into himself."

Banana Man made it a hat-trick of wins having won over 2000m at Caulfield on January 26.

Bred and owned by Samantha Pelly who is a track rider for the Colin Little stable, Banana Man has now won eight of his 18 starts and earned almost $380,000 in prizemoney.