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Ecuador has continued his strong form with victory in the Listed Carrington Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Coming off a strong win at Rosehill on Christmas Eve, the Waterhouse & Bott-trained runner settled up on the speed from the inside draw and proved too strong over the concluding stages with Shiraz in second with Gold Symphony in third.
Ecuador who carried 61kg returned a new career peak Timeform figure of 122, one pound higher than his previous start and at the ripe age of seven is racing in career best form.
Having been a 1400m race for only three years (run over 1000m and 1100m prior), Ecuador is the highest rated winner of the race in the last 19 years, running 22 pounds higher than 2016 winner Zin Zan Eddie and five pounds higher than Ninth Legion in 2015.
The stable has indicated they may set their sites higher and look at some Group 1 races for Ecuador in the autumn rather than Group 2 and 3 races they were planning on.
Of the beaten brigade, Shiraz ran to a Timeform figure of 109, his highest since running second in the Group 1 The Galaxy at Rosehill last autumn with Gold Symphony in third running to 99, six pounds below his win at Warwick Farm the start prior.
The last race on the programme saw Deploy secure his third win in as many starts in the Benchmark 84 Handicap (1200m), returning a new career peak Timeform figure of 101, four pounds above his win at Canterbury the start prior.
The Gerald Ryan-trained runner has come back in terrific order this campaign and working through the grades well could find himself in Stakes company throughout the autumn.
Settling around midfield, Deploy was able to find a gap at the 200m before grabbing the leader Noble Joey on the line for a narrow victory with Roaring To Win over a length away in third.
Noble Joey ran to a new career peak Timeform figure of 96 with Roaring To Win running up to his previous best of 94.
Earlier in the programme Exceeds from the James Cummings stable was able to show strong improvement on her first up effort when taking out the two-year-old open plate (1000m).
Having run to 89 when running fourth on debut, Exceeds improved significantly and returned a career peak Timeform figure of 100, after coming from back in the field to win by just under a length.
Exceeds was one of only two runners in the field with race experience and if she continues to improve certainly looks one to keep an eye on going forward.
Eden Roc in second also ran to a Timeform figure of 100 on debut for Team Hawkes with Kristensen in third returning a figure of 99.