However, the Patrick Payne-trained Cherry Tortoni had other ideas.

With a 2kg pull in the weights on Hi Stranger, the race favourite ran down the Bendigo galloper and won the $200,000 Golden Mile by a little less than a length.

Mildord ran home strongly from the back of the field to finish third.

The second placing earned Hi Stranger's connections $36,000 - the five-year-old has won more than $730,000 in stakemoney.

"He made his sprint, but he only has a short and sharp sprint and then he holds,'' Fliedner said of Hi Stranger.

"It was a typical gallant run. He's going to win a nice race one day, I'm just not sure when.

"Our aim is to get him to $1 million in prizemoney - we'll get him there."

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Payne paid tribute to Cherry Tortoni for putting everything together on the day.

"It was a strong field, it was no pinch, he had to be at his best but he was much better with blinkers on and he got the right run," Payne said.

"He's a very genuine horse and he's maybe tagged with a little bit of a stink next to his name but he's a very honest horse and he's still only a young horse, he's only a four-year-old."

"I was thinking there might be a race for him in Adelaide, but we'll just wait and see. As I said, he's only a young horse and we don't need to rush him."

Winning jockey Michael Dee was impressed with Cherry Tortoni's toughness.

"He was massive,'' Dee said of Cherry Tortoni.

"He's been absolutely flying this whole prep and building very nicely for coming here today. The only concern for myself was the barrier draw but I had full faith in Patrick and his team and the way Cherry is going at the moment."

"He didn't tow me into the race but every time I asked of him he just kept picking up.

"The way I was going he hit the front quite soon in the straight, he probably would have been in front for the last furlong for sure and as it turned he had a good look around and wanted to go in and out so it was a good effort."

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