An outsider at $19, Swift Dragon turned heads by crushing the field ahead of hot favourite Esperanza, as the Rockhampton invader Better Blitzem, once unbeaten, came home third.

Birchley’s juvenile dominance grew this year with a third win in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), Dream Roca’s $1 million conquest at Ellerslie, and it pressed forward on Queensland’s Glitter Strip when Swift Dragon earned the $300,000 first prize.

The son by unproven stallion Dracarys could explain away his pair of dull preparations into Saturday’s $500,000 centrepiece, with Birchley naming a dodgy Eagle Farm track as the issue, but he excelled once more with Ryan Wiggins in the saddle.

“His trial before he came back showed what he could do, but we just didn’t have any confidence in the track first-up,” said Birchley.

“These bigger horses don’t let down on those shifty tracks sometimes and last start it was much the same, but today was a different story. I got a bit worried when it started raining yesterday, but luckily they didn’t get too much. I had full confidence in the horse as long as the track was playing fair and we could get a crack at them.”

Fabulantes took the companion feature race, reinforcing trainer Robert Heathcote’s strong ties to the gelding’s bloodstock by storming to victory in the QTIS Jewel 3YO (1200m).

From 12 starts, the full-brother to Heathcote’s Group 1 heroine Startantes passed $500,000 in prizemoney while logging three city wins in a row.

Daniel Moor, aboard, believes Star Turn’s son is equipped for elevated competition.

“He’s got a ripper turn of foot,” Moor said.

“He was brave when I needed him to be, he gave a really solid kick and it was quite a soft win in the end. I think he could measure up to better races.”

The persistent leader Call Da Vinci, prepared by Bevan Laming, ran second with Dragonne Rouge third.

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