Dual Mt Gambier Cup winner Survived added the Murtoa Cup to his trophy cabinet in a dominant display last Saturday.
Trained by the in-form Archie Alexander and ridden by Declan Bates, Survived box-seated and enjoyed a good run just off the speed in the 2050-metre feature.
The son of Zed showed is rock-hard fit, as he showed when he poured the pressure on at the 600-metre mark, leaving his rivals flat-footed.  
In the straight, Survived ($7.50) gave a strong kick and dashed away to score by three-quarters of a length.
The win brought up a double for Alexander and Bates, who combined earlier in the day for success with Thanos in 0-58 company over the same trip.
Bates’s big day was soured slightly by a suspension for low-range careless riding in an earlier race. The ban expires at midnight this Friday.
Explosive arrival
Horsham trainer Paul Preusker got off to a good start at the Murtoa meeting with I’m Explosive ($6) on debut in the 1100-metre maiden.
With stable rider Holly McKechnie in the saddle, I’m Explosive was ridden with patience early, gaining a soft run.
The three-year-old began to make ground before the home turn then, when balanced, got clear galloping room and produced a blistering turn of speed.
The filly scored a very impressive victory by two lengths.
The win was a significant one for part-owner Greg Daffey, who stands I’m Explosive’s sire, Atomic, at Claremont Stud near Balmoral.
Dark makes mark
I Am The Dark was another impressive Wimmera-trained winner at Murtoa, taking the $50,000 Ladbrokes Melbourne Cup Carnival Series heat over 1600m.
The five-year-old, who won convincingly despite his $13 SP, is trained at Stawell by Doug Whitworth and was ridden by Stawell-based apprentice Jessica Eaton.