Dariana has earned sweet redemption after a calamitous last-start flop in the Queensland Oaks, with a barnstorming victory in the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The three-year-old filly's only other attempt at the 2400m was the Oaks, where she controversially threw her head over a neighbouring barrier stall, and consequently missed the start and was out of the race but was declared a starter.
Trained by the great Bart Cummings and ridden by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Michael Rodd, the second favourite sat midfield after jumping from barrier one, and took an inside alley to salute by no less than 4.5 lengths over race favourite Kutchinsky, and Oaks winner Miss Keepsake was a long head third.
It was Dariana's third win from nine career starts and has accumulated nearly half a million dollars in prizemoney, and delivered Cummings' first Queensland Derby sinc Empire Choice's victory in 2007.
Black Piranha took out the Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday, hitting the front in the final stride of the 1400m Group 1 event.
Having already steered home Pressday in the T.J. Smith Classic, Rawiller edged out Melito and jockey Corey Brown by a short half-head to deliver trainer Con Karakatsanis his first Group 1 since Black Piranha saluted in the same race 12 months ago.
The win was Rawiller's second Group 1 win for the day, and his ninth overall.
It was Black Piranha's eighth win from 45 career starts.
Pressday loomed up from the tail of the field to complete a treble of wins of Brisbane features with a win in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Classic.
The Chris Waller-trained colt also took out the Group 2 Champagne Classic and QTC Sires' Produce Stakes, both over 1400m, prior to saluting in the Group 1 mile race.
Jockey Nash Rawiller took Pressday to the rear of the field, and began to make ground 650m out from the post, before hitting the lead in the final 150m and never looking back.
Ringa Ringa Rosie ran second, while Pressday;s stablemate American Crew ran into the money as well.
Crossthestart, ridden by the in-form Chris Munce, saluted in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup over 2400m.
It was the fourth time Munce had been first past the post in the feature, and it was the third win for co-trainer Bevan Leming, who previously combined with Munce for the Cup with Desert Chill in 1995 and 1997.
The stayer favoured the firmer track after struggling on wetter surfaces in lead-up runs to beat home second-placed Scouting Wide by 1.3 lengths, and a further short-neck back was Ekstreme in third.