Trainer Con Karakatsanis vowed to bring Black Piranha back to Queensland next year for a record-breaking third Stradbroke Handicap attempt after the sprinter etched his name into the record books at Eagle Farm.Black Piranha became just the seventh horse to win successive Group One Stradbroke Handicaps since the race was first run in 1890, nailing Sydney filly Melito on the line to score by a short half-head in Saturday's 1400-metre feature.Trainer Paul Messara, who is in England with Alverta, wo

Trainer Con Karakatsanis vowed to bring Black Piranha back to Queensland next year for a record-breaking third Stradbroke Handicap attempt after the sprinter etched his name into the record books at Eagle Farm.

Black Piranha became just the seventh horse to win successive Group One Stradbroke Handicaps since the race was first run in 1890, nailing Sydney filly Melito on the line to score by a short half-head in Saturday's 1400-metre feature.

Trainer Paul Messara, who is in England with Alverta, would have been delighted with Mic Mac's effort to finish third, only a long head away.

The disappointments came from Melbourne stablemates Whobegotyou and Catapulted who finished 11th and 12th respectively while fellow Victorian Ortensia was third last.

Jockey Michael Rodd felt Whobegotyou was in trouble on the home turn and believed the sprinter jarred up on the hard track.

Former New Zealand champion Rough Habit, who led the Stradbroke field on to the course proper, was the last horse to claim back-to-back Stradbrokes in 1991-92.

Black Piranha gave Karakatsanis his first Group One success in last year's sprint and he never gave up on the six-year-old winning his second despite playing second fiddle to some of his more-fancied opponents.

Winning jockey Nash Rawiller, who admitted he lacked self-confidence early in his career before joining the Gai Waterhouse stable, was confident 300 metres out of registering his ninth Group One for the season and 21st of his career.

Karakatsanis said the excitement of winning with Black Piranha for a second time far outweighed his joy last year.

"In the last six months nothing has gone right for this horse," he said.

"Until you go back-to-back you don't know the feeling.

"I thought he was going to be 20 wide on the home turn when `Whobe' shunted him out on the corner."

Black Piranha, who was bought by Karakatsanis' father John for $41,000 at the Magic Millions sales, may head back to Melbourne for a spring campaign.

"I'm not sure yet but if he goes back to Melbourne it'll be for the (Group One) Emirates," Karakatsanis said.

"This horse is everything to me.

"The punters forgot about him but I knew I had him right. He was one run short when he ran fourth in the 10,000 and it was a terrific run."

Rawiller rated family and friends as the reasons for his success since joining the Waterhouse stable.

"In my first 15 years riding I lacked a bit of confidence but I've had a lot of support from family and friends along the way which has helped me a lot," Rawiller said.

Rawiller praised Karakatsanis for his training feat with Black Piranha.

"He (Black Piranha) is an exceptional old horse but it's a big effort from a young trainer like Con to win two Stradbrokes in a row," he said.

"When we jumped I wasn't in a hurry. He jumped so well I was confident of winning 300 metres out."

Trainer Gerald Ryan offered no excuses for Melito who produced another mighty effort following her third to Hot Danish in last month's Group One Doomben 10,000 (1350m).

"I'm more disappointed for her than anything because she deserves to win a Group One," Ryan said.

"I still think she deserves to be the three-year-old Filly of the Year."

Jockey Corey Brown thought Melito was finally going to claim her second Group One following her TJ Smith triumph in Sydney during the autumn until she was swamped on the line by Black Piranha.

"I thought she was going to win 200 metres out. I held her up and let her go through her gears but I couldn't see Black Piranha," he said.