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BRISBANE - Joe Janiak will dust off his top hat and tails supremely confident that Takeover Target can eclipse last year's performances at Royal Ascot next month following the gelding's sensational win in the group one Doomben 10,000 on Saturday.
Takeover Target got the upper hand over champion filly Gold Edition to score by a half length with Mitanni another three-quarters of a length away in third.
Janiak labelled the 7-year-old's victory the best of his 26-start career and cannot wait to get him to England where he will again tackle the group two King's Stand (1000m) and the group one Golden Jubilee (1200m) at Royal Ascot four days later.
"I'm so excited I can't explain how I feel. This is as good as it comes and it's a great rush," Janiak said.
"He's up there with the best in the world, but I think he's in better condition now than when I took him to England last year.
"Provided he travels well he's right on target to win both races this time."
Takeover Target, who leaves for England on Wednesday, was rated the world's best sprinter last season following his international deeds in England and Japan where he won the Sprinters' Stakes.
The speedster finished third in last year's Golden Jubilee Stakes before leaving England following his seventh in the July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket.
Toowoomba trainer Ron Maund was one of the first to congratulate Janiak after Golden Edition's defeat.
"She's run second to the best sprinter in the world and was just beaten by a better horse on the day," Maund said.
"She'll probably go into the Stradbroke now and the handicapper won't be able to penalise her."
Takeover Target's victory took his prizemoney to A$4.1 million ($4.68 million) with 14 victories in 26 starts.
Gold Edition's rider Jim Cassidy, who remains stranded on 99 group one wins, offered no excuses for the Lion Hunter filly's defeat.
"She tried hard but the winner was too good," he said.
* Promising 3-year-old Theseo thrust trainer Gai Waterhouse into contention to win her first Queensland Derby following his narrow victory in the group three Premier's Cup at Doomben.
But in a stunning sequel, New Zealand trainer Richard Yuill warned Mandela, who finished third in Saturday's 2200m race, was not a certain runner in the group two Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on June 11 for which he is currently favourite.
Yuill will not make a decision on a Brisbane Cup start until after weights are released for the 2400m feature four days before the race.
Yuill was furious Mandela was penalised 3kg to 58kg for the Premier's Cup following the 5-year-old's previous victory in the Chairman's Hcp (2020m) at Doomben on May 12.
"If he runs in the Brisbane Cup he won't have another start," Yuill said. "We might as well pack up and go home tomorrow if they are going to penalise him again.
"The Brisbane Cup is not the end of the world. He didn't disgrace himself today but the handicapper has certainly fixed him up in Brisbane."
Waterhouse was in Sydney on Saturday but Denise Martin, who bought Theseo for A$120,000 as a yearling at the Magic Millions, said the Queensland Derby was the gelding's main Brisbane mission.
"We thought he was unlucky on a few occasions during the autumn but it was a wonderful effort to win here," Martin said. "He'll go on to the Derby now but you'd have to ask Gai if he'll back up in the Brisbane Cup."
-AAP
