A solid track work gallop with stablemate and subsequent Golden Rose winner Bivouac convinced James Cummings that Ranier could return to the winner's list and the horse delivered with victory in the final event at Rosehill.
Just two races after Bivouac claimed the Group One Golden Rose (1400m), his workout partner put the icing on the cake for Godolphin, producing a big finish from back in the field to claim Saturday's Sydney's West Handicap (1400m).
“He was a beautiful horse for Bivouac to gallop with during the week and that form gallop had us a little confident that, at the good odds, he'd be an each way bet here,” Cummings said.
“James (McDonald) was confident on him and sweated on the run so patiently. That's definitely the way to ride the horse.”
Ranier ($7) defied a betting drift to score by half a length from Mushaireb ($19), with race leader You Make Me Smile ($11) holding on for third another 1-1/4 lengths away.
The win was McDonald's second on the program after his victory in the Group Two Shannon Stakes (1500m) aboard the Chris Waller-trained Mister Sea Wolf.