Trainer Mick Price is resigned to More Radiant never living up to her full potential despite the filly notching an important city win at Flemington on Saturday.
Price had two runners in the Trevor Clarke Handicap with the resuming Northroza well backed to start the $2.50 favourite.
However it was More Radiant ($9) which came out on top with a gutsy performance to beat in-form Face Forward ($4.40) by a half neck with Northroza another half length away in third.
More Radiant showed early promise with a stakes placing on debut as a two-year-old before three more stakes placings as a spring three-year-old.
"All credit to More Radiant because she's not a good breather," Price said.
"We had a really good opinion of her as a stakes sort of filly but this preparation she's dealing with an average throat and I thought it was fantastic from jockey and horse today.
"I'm very pleased we've been able to nail a metropolitan win for her."
Price said More Radiant was likely to head to the breeding barn in the spring.
Apprentice Michael Dee had a plan to stick close to Face Forward at the front and his ride earned praise from Price as More Radiant kept fighting with a pull in the weights to win.
The trainer was also pleased with the run of Northroza and said she would get out to 1400m and 1600m.