Encipher reaffirmed that she's in a class of her own among the three-year-old fillies, adding a A Rocknroll Dance Breeders Crown to her Pryde's EasiFeed Victoria Oaks Group 1.
In Kate Gath's hands, the Captaintreacherous filly started a short-priced favourite and delivered Emma Stewart her fourth Breeders Crown of the night in a race the stable dominated, with eight of the 12 starters.
That included placegetters Soho Historia and Amore Vita, but it was Encipher who took the Crown and her 11th win of her 18-start career.
For owner-breeder Tyson Linke that haul now includes two Breeders Crown, having also taken the title as a two-year-old.
It was also a special moment for Gath, bringing up her 50th career Group 1 and, fittingly, on a horse that hails from her birth state of South Australia.
A Rocknroll Dance Breeders Crown for 3YO pacing fillies champions:
Horse: Encipher
Trainer: Emma Stewart
Driver: Kate Gath
Owner/breeder: Tyson Linke
Breeding: By Captaintreacherous out of Our Cavort
THE RACE:
While the race may have gone true to form - with Emma Stewart's Encipher at the front of affairs for much of the running and saluting in a stable trifecta - the 3YO pacing fillies class wasn't without its surprise moment.
And it was delivered by New South Wales visitors trainer Ellen Bartley and reinsman Blake Jones, who swept from the widest front row gate to cross the field and be first to the pegs.
It was little bother for Kate Gath and Encipher, who were able to soon advance to the front in a 46.5-second lead time, but it shuffled the leader's main threat, Amore Vita, to three back on the pegs.
It was welcome breathing space and Encipher was able to stroll through 31-second first and second quarters, enabling the pace to quicken in a 53.8-second run to the line as Soho Historia battled gamely on the leader's outside.
The challenger threatened, but Encipher always seemed to have the race in hand and score by 1.4 metres, with Amore Vita finishing five metres in arears in third.