Underrated stayer Dark Note has staked his claim for a crack at next month's Banjo Paterson Final with a barnstorming win in the Gillies Country Cup at Moonee Valley.The seven-year-old had been a query at 2040m on Saturday but charged home to score comfortably.Jockey Dean Yendall feared the race had got away on him at the 800 metres and was impressed with the way the gelding finished off to score a three-quarter length win over last-start Sandown winner Royal Commands and Casterton Cup winner Ri

Underrated stayer Dark Note has staked his claim for a crack at next month's Banjo Paterson Final with a barnstorming win in the Gillies Country Cup at Moonee Valley.

The seven-year-old had been a query at 2040m on Saturday but charged home to score comfortably.

Jockey Dean Yendall feared the race had got away on him at the 800 metres and was impressed with the way the gelding finished off to score a three-quarter length win over last-start Sandown winner Royal Commands and Casterton Cup winner Riveted.

Yendall said that as Abitofado went dashing forward mid-race to take up the running he decided to wait a little longer to make his move.

However he had doubts that Dark Note could make up the necessary ground when the field spread out.

"At the half-mile (800m) I thought `He has a tough task to pick them up' but once I put pedal to metal and gave him a couple of smacks around the backside he found really good," Yendall said.

Trainer Eric Bromfield scratched Dark Note from last Wednesday's Sandown meeting to run him at the Valley and was elated with the victory.

He said Dark Note was a tough campaigner and had a terrific finish.

"All I said to Dean was that all he has to do is get cover and he will come home," Bromfield said.

Bromfield said the owners had doubts about Dark Note running a strong 2040m after he had failed over 2012m at Seymour at the end of a campaign in May two years ago and was a well-beaten third to Zoomin over 2000m at Flemington in September last year.

"I didn't come here for nothing and I told the owners that," Bromfield said.

"I said he would run 2000 metres and he will run 2500 metres too."

The Country Cup was the fourth heat of the Banjo Paterson Series and the final is over 2600m at Flemington July 9.