A year after winning on Ben Settree’s Emjayem Grand, McElhinney was at it again steering the John Tapp-trained Chariot King to victory in the $100,000 Group 1 feature for two-year-old colts and geldings.

McElhinney was forced to produce all the stops to take Chariot King to the lead in the final stages after an awkward second row draw.

“There’s that many scenarios that run through your brain from there,” he said of the second row draw.

“Just the way the race panned out we went forward, I drove him for luck early and unfortunately for Bruce Harpley, he got caught three wide and with a lap to go his horse started to feel the pinch a bit and we were able to get out and from there on in I was pretty confident the horse was going to win.”

Chariot King hit the front with 300m to go and was never headed from there on in, returning punters a $5.90 dividend in front of Cuttheattitude.

Meanwhile, Lady Euthenia was a worthy winner of the Gold Tiara final for two-year-old fillies.

The Mitchell Reese-driven pacer surged past seemingly unlikely winner Bella Jam Jam to record a 4½ metre win in a solid 2:00.3 mile rate.