Trainer Terry O'Sullivan landed his second victory in the VRC St Leger at Flemington with long shot Exceptionally and he's now looking ahead to the Melbourne Cup with the filly.Exceptionally gave embattled jockey Danny Nikolic an overdue feature win as he waits to hear whether he faces charges over a long running inquiry into 10 of his beaten rides.O'Sullivan, who co-trains the Ekraar filly with his daughter Karina, races her with his wife Robyn and long-time stable clients Kingsley and Evelyn P

Trainer Terry O'Sullivan landed his second victory in the VRC St Leger at Flemington with long shot Exceptionally and he's now looking ahead to the Melbourne Cup with the filly.

Exceptionally gave embattled jockey Danny Nikolic an overdue feature win as he waits to hear whether he faces charges over a long running inquiry into 10 of his beaten rides.

O'Sullivan, who co-trains the Ekraar filly with his daughter Karina, races her with his wife Robyn and long-time stable clients Kingsley and Evelyn Peach.

O'Sullivan said he paid $65,000 for Exceptionally who was Lot 1 at the Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale a couple of years ago because she was a stunning type.

Exceptionally had won two races, at Warracknabeal over 1600m and on her home track at Stawell over 2000m, from nine starts before Sunday.

O'Sullivan said the win was not a surprise considering she had run an enormous race when fifth to subsequent Group One WATC Derby winner Chartreux over 2000m at Caulfield two starts back.

"We thought she was very unlucky not to run second to Chartreux at Caulfield," he said.

O'Sullivan said the filly didn't travel well to Adelaide when 12th to Danaupair Starlet in the Group Three SA Fillies Classic (2400m) on April 10.

"She was flat and dopey. She went over to Adelaide the day before the race and obviously didn't do that well and had no life in her and she raced accordingly," he said.

O'Sullivan's first St Leger winner was Dolphin Jo in 2006 and that gelding went on to run 15th to Delta Blues in the 2006 Melbourne Cup and fifth to Efficient in 2007 before winning the 2008 Group Two Herbert Power Stakes at Caulfield.

Nikolic, who won the 1993 Listed Bagot Hcp (2500m) on Water Snow for O'Sullivan, came with a late run on Exceptionally in the 2800m Listed event.

The Lee Freedman-trained Galileo filly Gallant Lady ($3.90 fav) led from the outset and looked to be holding her rivals at bay until the last 100m when Exceptionally ($21) dived through a gap to score by three-quarters of a length.

Sherpa Tenzing ($4.6) was a short neck away third, while the only other filly in the race apart from the first and second placegetters was Our Serena ($17) who was fourth.

"We thought he (Nikolic) may have left his run too late, but she's out of a Zabeel mare and has always shown good staying promise," O'Sullivan said.

"She's a great winded filly who right from the start her first start at Swan Hill showed she could stick. We always thought she went pretty good and she showed a good turn of foot first-up this preparation when she charged home to run third at Sandown.

"We had a hell of a lot of fun with Dolphin Jo so we'd be pretty happy if she finished up as good as him.

"I'd love to think she might get into a Melbourne Cup as she has staying power and she'll run two miles (3200m), I reckon there's no doubt."

Nikolic said he had a nice run in the race from barrier one.

"She relaxed quite well, the tempo was solid and from the 600 metres I just needed to get out of a bit of traffic," he said.

"Once I was out in the clear I thought she was going to run third at best but the last 150 metres she really put her head down and knuckled down to work."

"It was a good effort. She's a dead-set stayer and Terry had her 100 per cent fit."