With A$500,000 on offer, you’d expect a keen finish, and that was certainly the case in the Good Friday Country Discovery at Yarra Valley with Savannah Cloud (NZ) (Savabeel) prevailing in thriller.

As many as seven horses had winning chance inside the final 100m, but it was the Phillip Stokes-trained six-year-old at $12 who withstood the final charge by a short half head from General Beau (Brazen Beau) ($17), with topweight Pounding (Exceed and Excel) ($41) a half-head away third.

So close was the finish, the first six horses home had less than a length between them and just three lengths covered the entire 12-horse field.

For Stokes, every win from Savannah Cloud is celebrated as he’s had a long history in his Pakenham stable.

“He’s been here from when I first came here and set up at Pakenham… he’s a real favourite,” Stokes said.

The trainer has hatched a plan to add significantly to the horse’s current prizemoney total of A$920,000 by eyeing a A$1 million race in Adelaide in May.

“He’s getting up to about $1 million now and about 100 rating, so we are looking probably at something like the Goodwood.”

Thomas Stockdale continued his great form with his centimetre-perfect ride.

“He didn’t have the best drag-up in the race,” he explained to Racing.com. “He had to make the run all on his own but he’s a tough horse.

“A big thank you to the team and the ownership group as it’s a big thrill for me to have my parents here today to witness it, so a very special day.”