As punters pondered the conundrum in the Eagle Farm Cup - Waller had four of the six runners and would have had another if Index Linked wasn't scratched on race morning - another Kiwi who knew Australia's premier trainer from his days in a tiny town on New Zealand's north island was scarpering across the mounting yard with the winning sash.

Well, at least his strapper was.

It wasn't the one they hand out after the race, but rather the prize for the horse which parades best beforehand. Werther was - how do we say it? - worthy on the day.

He at least paraded better than his trainer Andrew Campbell, who mounting yard watchers would have been excused for putting a line through given his sweat-stained shirt on a steamy pre-winter day at Doomben. It never gets this hot in New Zealand.

"I've known Chris for a while from his old Foxton days," Campbell revealed afterwards as Waller strode in his direction to provide a hearty congratulations after Werther ground to victory in the group 2 staying test. "That was quite a while ago, maybe 25 years now."

The only other trainer who had a horse engaged in a race worth $250,000 - yes, that's quarter of a million dollars - was Mick Kent with Epingle.

She finished third after defending champion Moriarty - the first of Waller's four across the line - split Werther and the Victorian mare in second.

The Waller effect? Worry Werther's connections?

"Oh yeh," fired back owner Tommy Heptinstall, who raced Werther's sire Tavistock as well as former Victoria Derby hero Sangster. "Wouldn't you be?"

He needn't have though. Campbell joked he would love to have more horses, hut Heptinstall and Co are "too tight to buy me any more".

They have a bit more loose change to play with after the race, which was an exhibition of where it has all gone wrong with homegrown stayers.

"The honest truth before today, I thought he would win the [Queensland] Derby," Heptinstall said of the winner. "I think he's better [than Sangster] myself. Sangster has got all the wins on the board and a group 1 at home, but a group 2 here is like a group 1 in New Zealand.

"And my honest opinion is we should have beaten that filly [Delicacy] down in Adelaide and reverse the runs we beat her."

Waller's out-of-sorts Hawkspur led, but quickly yielded ground turning for home. Werther strode to the lead and was never in any danger as Moriarty rallied late.

"It looked like I was going to have to take up the lead, but that wasn't my first thought," said Werther's jockey Jim Byrne. "I wanted to take a sit and it worked out really good for us."

Waller? Moriarty might be on the back up in the Brisbane Cup, but the others are headed for spelling paddocks.

"They were just a bit one-paced in the sprint home," he said.

Yet maybe Campbell and Heptinstall owe him a drink for propping the race up. Or at least hand over that sash and $100 worth of Mitavite products they pocketed earlier.