Ideal Alice, bred and owned by Auckland’s Phil Cook, was an upset winner in the hands of Gary Hall Jnr.

History repeated for race favourite Piccadilly Princess, who was desperately unlucky in the race for the second year in a row.

Driver and co-trainer Mark Purdon gave her a plum trip in the trail behind Eden Franco throughout, but she was unable to find racing room down the straight and finished just behind the place-getters.

Eden Franco, trained in Perth but still co-owned in Christchurch by Spreydon Lodge, led throughout as the third favourite, but tired in to fourth late.

Victorian mare Amaretto was the run of the race, finishing a brave second after sitting parked throughout.

Ideal Alice is the first foal of Cook’s Armbro Operative mare Bonsoir and she won three of 11 starts from Tony Herlihy’s stable before being dispatched to Gary Hall Snr’s stable in Perth in mid-2014.

Cook, a board member of the Auckland Trotting Club, had earlier raced Bettor Reason to win more than A$200,000 from Hall’s stable before his sale to America in 2015.

This win takes Ideal Alice’s career earnings to excess of A$400,000.