IN a blanket finish Sound Proposition needed every centimetre of Ellerslie’s 1,600 metres to win the Group 1 Easter Cup last Saturday.

The open set-weights and penalties event saw seven of the 18 starters finish within two lengths of the winner, as Michael Coleman came late and wide on Sound Proposition to hit the line locked together with the Postponed gelding Trojan Warrior. Third went to the Darci Brahma mare Rasa Lila.

Trained in partnership by Andrew Scott and Lance O’Sullivan, Sound Proposition was one of three horses under their care that tested positive to elevated levels of cobalt last year, the first such positives recorded in New Zealand since the industry started testing for the substance in mid-2014.

As a result Sound Proposition was disqualified from his third placing in the 2014 New Zealand Derby with stewards subsequently finding O’Sullivan and Scott not guilty of administration, fining them NZ$50,000 plus costs of $10,500 instead.

It was argued successfully that horses on their Wexford property shared a trough with neighbouring dairy cattle to which their farmer had supplemented cobalt to the water.

“It’s a very satisfying win,” said O’Sullivan. “It has been a tough 12 months but we’ve all come through it and out the other side and as far as Wexford Stables goes it’s onwards and upwards.”

The Easter Cup also provided the Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel with his 11th individual Group 1 winner, with his 50th stakes winner coming two days later as Gustavo won the Listed Anzac Mile at Awapuni.

The son of Zabeel stood his first season in 2005 and currently leads the New Zealand General Sires’ table, is 15th on the Australian General Sires’ table and third on Hong Kong’s General Sires’ table.