Eskimo Dan may have earned a Perth Cup start after giving trainer Bevan Laming a change of luck by defeating Instructor to win the Group Three Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.Fellow Mornington trainer Richard Laming was standing in for his father and said the Group Two Perth Cup, now run over 2400m at Ascot on January 1, was a definite option for the Danasinga six-year-old."He'll either run in the Perth Cup or go to Tassie (for the Hobart Cup and Launceston Cup). He's an out-and-out stayer," Laming sa

Eskimo Dan may have earned a Perth Cup start after giving trainer Bevan Laming a change of luck by defeating Instructor to win the Group Three Eclipse Stakes at Sandown.

Fellow Mornington trainer Richard Laming was standing in for his father and said the Group Two Perth Cup, now run over 2400m at Ascot on January 1, was a definite option for the Danasinga six-year-old.

"He'll either run in the Perth Cup or go to Tassie (for the Hobart Cup and Launceston Cup). He's an out-and-out stayer," Laming said.

Laming said the gelding had a small problem after running fifth to Majestical in the Cranbourne Cup (2025m) on October 12.

"He jarred up. The track was like concrete that day, but we noted this race and freshened him up for it," he said.

Eskimo Dan showed he was on target for the 2100m Eclipse when he ran on well to finish third to Instructor over 1700m at Sandown last Saturday.

"He's been a nice stayer for a long time but it's just taken a long time for things to go his way and today was the day," Laming said.

"We needed a change of luck, we haven't had the best carnival but it's nice to win this race."

With Danny Brereton, who rode Eskimo Dan last week, committed to riding the Tony Vasil-trained Bird Of Fire (fifth), Craig Williams picked up the mount and made it a double having earlier scored on the David Hayes-trained Zavana.

After settling fifth of the eight runners, Eskimo Dan ($4.20 fav) appreciated the slow going and toughed it out well to hold out Instructor by a short head.

Wednesday's Ballarat Cup runner-up Sentire was three-quarters of a length away third.

Eskimo Dan has done most of his racing in Queensland where Laming is based at Jacobs Well in the Gold Coast hinterland.

From December 2007 to January 2008 he racked up a hat-trick of wins at Doomben.

Saturday's win took his record to eight wins and nine placings from 30 starts.

Trainer John Sadler has enjoyed a good carnival with the highlights being Zipping winning the Sandown Classic after running second in the Cox Plate and C'est La Guerre's third in the Melbourne Cup.

But he said it would have been nice if Instructor had topped it off by winning the Eclipse.

Williams made it a treble and gave Hayes a double when Silky Smooth won the Hussonet Hcp (1400m).