All the hype in the lead up to this year's Armidale Cup centred around Stirling Osland's Point Counterpoint and Troy O'Neile's Beckford.
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But no one told Brett Cavanough's Pepper's Ghost who pipped both runners to take out the $60,000 1900 metre event with Jon Grisedale aboard.
The five-year-old gelding had met Osland's and O'Neile's horses on the track before - two weeks ago at Rosehill in the 2000m Country Classic where he ran fifth with the other pair in third and fourth.
Cavanough said he was wary of the two heavyweights.
"I was pretty worried about the local horses, home track advantage but we bought him with a view of being a good country Cups horse with the Big Dance qualifiers," he said.
"The local horses went good, they had 62 kilos on their backs and were brave in defeat."
It was that weight which put Pepper's Ghost in prime spot with only 55kgs on his back.
It proved the difference but Beckford and Point Counterpoint were gallant with second and third.
"Just turned the tables on them with the weight today," Cavanough said.
"He is a lovely big horse and got the job done today."
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Cavanough said it was also a bit more special with the ownership group "longtime friends" of his.
Although Osland didn't pull off the win in the main race, he didn't go home empty handed.
He scored two winners earlier in the day.
Cyber Attack, with Brooke Stower aboard, won the 1100m Maiden Plate and then Buffet Buster won the 1400m Benchmark 66 with Aaron Bullock riding.
Tamworth-based Cody Morgan also picked up two wins, and a track record.
Willinga Tyson won the Class 1 and Maiden 1900m with Bullock guiding the flashy chestnut for the win but it was Ezekeil who stole the show with a five-and-a-half length triumph in the 1100m Newmarket Handicap for the new track record of 1:01.58.
Jockey Winona Costin continued her strong record at Armidale with a win in the 1400m Maiden Handicap on Sue Grills' Oodles.
Mel O'Gorman's Lan Kwai Fong won the Class 2 1300m Handicap for the first of Ben Looker's brace.
And it was a $103 outsider in Super Looker in the final race to take the win over 1100m for George Woodward.
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