German import Pakal has charged into spring carnival contention with a thumping first-up win at Caulfield on Saturday.
Trainer Mick Price sent out his two imports, Pakal ($5.50) and Bit Of Hell ($4 fav), in the Legacy 2013 Badge Appeal Handicap (1600m) and walked away with vastly different results.
Pakal sat one-out and one-back before storming to a six-length victory over Alpha Proxima, while Bit Of Hell settled back on the rails and didn't finish his race off, coming in last.
"One good, one bad," Price said.
While impressed and slightly surprised by the acceleration shown by Pakal first-up, Price said he hadn't lost faith in Bit Of Hell.
He will keep to his original plan to run both gallopers in the Heatherlie Handicap (1700m) at their next start and then the Group One Underwood Stakes (1800m).
"We'll stick to that plan and see how they go," Price said.
Pakal, a Group winner in Germany, is at $26 for the Caulfield Cup after Saturday's win.
The performance gave OTI Racing part-owner Simon O'Donnell reason for optimism heading into the spring.
"I think it surprised all of us," O'Donnell said.
"We thought he would run a competitive race but to do what he did in the last 400 (metres) gives you a bit of heel-clicking time."
Pakal was ridden by in-form apprentice Patrick Moloney who continued his excellent start to the season.
"He was obviously pretty impressive with his finishing burst," Moloney said.