The seven-year-old was having his third start back from a long spell, but was no match for the short-priced favourite Akkadian, who looked every inch a city class galloper.

A blistering early-race pace set by the Bendigo-trained Like To Think So and Benalla sprinter It's Not There played right into the hands of the Matt Cumani-trained four-year-old, who swooped from the back of the field to record a runaway win.

An up-beat Stanley described Haski's run as 'super' given the early breakneck speed.

"They simply went ridiculously too hard in front," he said.

"(Jockey) Harry (Coffey) just tried to get him to travel, but he was what you call in racing 'left a sitting duck'.

"He led the rest of the field up when the first two stopped and he's got to the front, but the other two have swamped him.

"The winner won comfortably, the second horse just got him on the line. He's run sensationally third-up from a long time off, the race just wasn't run to plan.

"But it's onwards and upwards from here, he'll just keep on improving.

"He'll go on to win races and get up to 1200m and 1300m, his peak distances.

"I said to the owners be proud of him, it was just a ridiculously fast run race, hence why the (leaders) stopped so quickly."

Cumani described the win of Akkadian (now four wins and six placings from 22 starts) as reward for consistency.

"He's a horse who makes things exciting," he said.

"He's often slow away from the gate and ends up out back; we'd like to put him in a more forward position.

"(But) he's quite impressive when he get motoring."

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