The lead time was covered in 2:07.6.

Jaccka Clive continued to set the pace with many moves being made from back in the pack, Butt had Choise Achiever travelling easy behind the leader.

Boom New Zealand 4yo The Gold Ace made a spirited bid for the lead with a lap and half still to run but Jaccka Clive refused to yield, the first half of the final mile covered in 30.4 and 29.7 seconds.

Entering the back straight, Jaccka Clive led from Mach Wiper with race favourite Auckland Reactor poised in the one out, one back position while Butt sat patiently on the inside with Choise Achiever.

The third quarter was posted in a solid 28.3 seconds.

Approaching the home turn, Jaccka Clive was joined by Choise Achiever while Auckland Reactor loomed sharply three wide on the track.

Choise Achiever seemed to lose his chance when inconvenienced by Jaccka Clive but the Courage Under Fire gelding rallied strongly under strong driving from Butt and edged out Auckland Reactor by a head margin with a further half head margin back to Jaccka Clive in third.

The final quarter was timed in 28.4 seconds.

The mile rate was 1;59.9, which shaved over a full second off the track record set by Stunin Cullen when successful last year.

“He's a good horse, he had to fight hard in the straight but he never took a backward step.

“The race worked out really well for us, he stepped perfectly and got the right horse to follow so it couldn't have been scripted any better really.

“It really is a great race to win, we look forward to this event each year and to win it again is just unreal.”

The next leg of the 2011/12 Grand Circuit is the V75 Inter Dominion Pacing Championship Grand Final on March 2 at Gloucester Park, Perth.