At the last Flemington meeting Danny O'Brien expected to train three winners and ended up with none.

His confidence tempered by that experience, O'Brien came to the same track on Saturday with expectation replaced by hope - and the winners flowed.

Having won the opening two races with Excitable Boy and Keep Cool, O'Brien added Kutchinsky to the winning tally in the Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m).

"I had three favourites here two weeks ago and they all got beat," O'Brien said.

"That's what racing does to you."

Kutchinsky ($6.50) made amends for his last-start Mornington Cup disappointment to score by 1-1/2 lengths from Dame Claire ($10) who nosed out the favourite Tuscan Fire ($2.45).

O'Brien explained that the Mornington run that looked average on paper had been better than it appeared.

"There was a riderless horse that laid all over him, otherwise he would have finished much closer," he said.

Like Tuscan Fire, Kutchinsky will head to Monday week's Adelaide Cup.

"He needed to run a strong 2600 (metres) today for me to take him to Adelaide," O'Brien said.

"He's done that, he looks like he'll run the 3200 (metres)."

Bookmakers reacted to the effort by trimming Kutchinsky in from $21 to $6.50 for the Cup in which Tuscan Fire remains the favourite.

Kutchinsky's won also provided an alternative to the popular trend of seeking out tried stayers in Europe.

"We paid $50,000 for him at a tried sale," O'Brien said.

"They'd have to pay $500,000 for the same thing in Europe."