Imported stayer Permit upstaged a couple of stablemates to record his first race win in over eighteen months in the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at the Randwick Kensington track on Saturday.

Permit will press on to the Tattersalls Club Cup on New Years Day after winning the Christmas Cup in impressive fashion at Randwick on Saturday. Photo by: Steve Hart

Chris Waller had three of the five runners in the Christmas Cup field, with Hoylonny and Secessio both well-backed, but it was Permit who gave the leading Sydney trainer his second win in the event after previously winning with Bellagio Wynn in 2010.

Permit was settled in a lovely position by jockey Hugh Bowman, behind Martinvast and Secessio, and the leading rider timed his run perfectly; with Permit hitting the front with 200 metres and finishing strongly to record an impressive victory.

The Dansili gelding was one of the staying stars of the 2012 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival, winning the Listed Manion Cup (2400m) and Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m), but has failed to fire since being injured during the running of the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m).

Despite Permit’s loss of form, Waller said that the six-year-old remained a popular member of his stable and was delighted that the owners who had remained faithful to the stayer had been rewarded with a race win.

“Permit’s been a stable pet and he’s been with us for a while,” Waller said.

It’s been a long time between drinks but the main crew of the owners have stuck solid.

“A few rightly pulled out but well done to the guys who stayed in it.”

OTI Racing-owned Martinvast produced his best performance since arriving in Australia at the end of last year to finish second and trainer Gerald Ryan said that the four-year-old is a chance to head to Western Australia to contest the Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Day.

“You’ll never get me complaining about hard tracks; in fact, it’s helped this bloke,” Ryan said.

“He was kicking back there at the end and I thought for a minute he was going to win.

“I don’t know where we’re going next.

“We’ll decide in couple days if well go to Perth for the cup over there as he’s part-owned over there.”

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2013 Christmas Cup Finishing Order