Former Sydney galloper Guillotine shocked racegoers by taking out the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley this afternoon.

Storming home from eighth place on the turn, Guillotine ($26-$31) ridden by Craig Williams, wove his way through the field to poke his neck in front on the line.

Casual Pass ($17-$21) ran on well for second a long neck behind Guillotine, while Tears I Cry ($51-$61) showed a glimpse of his Group 1 winning form to finish third.

Race favourite Maldivian ($1.85-$2.00-$1.90F) was not disgraced in finishing fourth, a head behind Tears I Cry, a victim of the hectic early pace which saw the race run in 1:35.98.

The track record held by Lord Of The Manor is 1:35.80, which shows how exceptional today's time was considering the track was dead before the first race today.

"I thought he might run a place but the stars in the race sort of scared me a bit", said winning trainer David Hayes who has only recently taken over the training of Guillotine from David Payne.

Hayes has now given Guillotine two runs and won both of them, the first in Adelaide two weeks ago.

"It was a big win in Adelaide", said Hayes.

"He pulled all the way and kept finding."

"Les Samba the owner just rang me and asked me to train him."

"He thought a change might do the horse a world of good."

"He was one time AJC Derby favourite so he's always been rated highly."

"He arrived in immaculate condition from David Payne and he's been a pleasure to train."

"David Payne always told me that he thought he was a Group 1 horse."

Hayes was originally going to run Guillotine next in the Listed JRA Stakes at the first Moonee Valley night racing meeting in two weeks time.

"I was going to go for the JRA Handicap but we might get a bit more ambitious", Hayes suggested.

Guillotine is now exempt from the ballot for the Caulfield Cup, in which he is handicapped on only 50kg.

The change to the entry conditions for the Cup, which gave automatic entry to winners of races like the Dato Tan Chin Nam, arose ironically because of the controversy surrounding the balloting of Hayes galloper Confectioner from the Caulfield Cup a few years ago.

Hayes is obviously tempted to consider going for the Caulfield Cup as opposed to the Cox Plate.

"It is enticing because you could win these races with Confectioner and you couldn't get in a few years ago", Hayes observed.

"Its a great thing its changed."

"There were suggestions made that if you win the Cox Plate lead ups you should be able to get into a handicap."

Guillotine becoming a Cups hope is some consolation for Samba who had been pinning his hopes on the unsound Gorky Park.

Gorky Park has again succumbed to tendon problems, but Guillotine looks a more than able alternative.

Photos: Fiona Tomlin

© Cyberhorse 2010 Bill Saunders Published 13/09/08