Thrilling Tancred Stakes sees Aeliana collar Dubai Honour late

Aeliana's duel with Dubai Honour turned into a classic encounter of elite weight-for-age stars both firing on all cylinders.

The mare powered home to catch Dubai Honour and take out the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, with the pair elevating their status through a breathtaking end.

Renowned trainer Chris Waller drew parallels between Aeliana and his old superstar Verry Elleegant, while the overseas challenger Dubai Honour demonstrated maturity poses no obstacle to excellence.

Weight-for-age racing shone brightest here – two class acts in a tense tussle, handled by premier jockeys with audacious moves.

Riding Dubai Honour, Tom Marquand chose to dictate terms up front, obliging James McDonald to track him closely in second with Aeliana, staying within range of the danger.

It came close to victory. In the drive to the line, Marquand unleashed Dubai Honour for a break of three lengths, threatening to claim the prize.

Yet Aeliana fought back relentlessly. McDonald guided her to progressively erode the leader's margin, overtaking in the dying stages.

"I was worried from the 300m to the 100m but Aeliana was very brave,'' Waller said.

"It's hard to beat a (William) Haggas horse when they're being set for a race as Mr Haggas does.

"He shows us what training's all about when he comes down here. We knew we had to be on top of our game."

Previous Tancred Stakes have hosted iconic clashes, such as Octagonal defeating Arkady in 1997 or Makybe Diva powering by Grand Armee in 2005, placing this duel in elite company.

The $1.70 market elect Aeliana scraped home by a short head ahead of $3.60 chance Dubai Honour, followed by Vauban ($7) over four lengths away in third.

For McDonald, it was Group 1 win number 10 this campaign, no easy feat.

"I had to be pretty patient on Aeliana because I learned a bit on her the other day,'' McDonald said.

"I thought even though it wasn't ideal letting them get so far in front, I had confidence that the mare would pick him up.

"Once she balances up, then she finds."

He would have favoured a sit but coped with Marquand's unforeseen leading ploy.

"It wasn't my plan to give him so much of a head start, but I just waited and waited for her to be ready and when she was ready she just exploded," he said.

"At the 300m, I could feel her building underneath me. I just felt if I went earlier, I would've been out of my comfort zone. It was a chance I was willing to take and I'm glad it paid off."

Marquand noted the front-running was by design.

"We kind of knew what would happen if we just sat and did what we normally do," he said.

"We tried something different and it nearly worked, but the filly was very good."

Issy Paul, Dubai Honour’s assistant trainer on tour, felt likewise.

"It's disappointing to lose but he's run a great race. I'm very proud of him."

Acquired for $180,000 by Star Thoroughbreds' Denise Martin, Aeliana has six successes from 18 attempts, three Group 1s, and prizemoney surpassing $4.3 million.

Following her Ranvet Stakes conquest, this made it two Group 1s, with the team pondering a Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) appearance at Randwick.

"She's had two solid runs, we'll see how the Queen Elizabeth fits in," Waller said.

"She'll be here for another two years so there's plenty to look forward to. Who knows, she might be the next Verry Elleegant."

The same target awaits Dubai Honour, revisiting his win from three years back.

"By English standards it's a quick turnaround, but that's the plan," Paul confirmed.

Check out betting markets for the race and other key autumn events at premier Australian betting sites.