Captain Envious has taken out the Easter Cup at Caulfield.
Trainer Paul Preusker will continue to raise the bar with Captain Envious after the Horsham-trained galloper registered a second Stakes race win.
Captain Envious added the Group 3 Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday to his victory in the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) at the end of last spring.
Bursting through a narrow gap, Captain Envious ($26) with Thomas Stockdale aboard, defeated Jennilala ($7.50) by a half-neck with Deny Knowledge ($16) a short-half-head away third.
Jennilala's connections, jockey Harry Coffey and trainer Ciaron Maher's assistant Jack Turnbull, watch stewards' vision of the final stages of Saturday's race before electing not to enter a protest.
Captain Envious was racing third-up from a break on Saturday having finished out of the placings in tougher races in his first two runs back.
Stockdale said Captain Envious showed a lot of courage to get through late in the contest and register a narrow win.
"It was tight, and I had both horses coming in on me, so full credit to him to get through that hole and win the race," Stockdale said.
"He took a long time to pull up, so I think he's going to be suited getting out over further.
"I think he can go on with it now and he enjoyed the fast tempo that was on today, being able to camp off it and being produced late.
"He was gutsy, he was tough, and he had a bit of a blow, so he will come on.
"I think there are bigger things in store for him and it's great to get a Stakes winner for the Preusker team who have been great supporters of mine over the last 12 or so months."
Preusker said after Captain Envious took out the Ballarat Cup last spring that the gelding has a blistering turn of foot and handles both wet and dry tracks.
He said Captain Envious would appreciate stepping out in trip and the Listed Warrnambool Cup (2350m) on May 2 along with the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) at Flemington on May 18 are potentially races that could feature on the gelding's radar.
