IT'S the textbook dream finish: Watch two of your rivals battle it out ahead of you before you sweep down the outside and break their hearts.
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Brian Portelli's Tasty Delight ($1.95 favourite, Blake Fitzpatrick) was that heart breaker during the second of Friday night's Gold Crown Heats (1,730 metres) as he blew by Cheetah Lodge ($23, Josh Gallagher) and Captain Crusader ($2.15, Rickie Alchin) with ease.
Tasty Delight showed the same speed which took him to his recent Group 2 Sapling Stakes success at Menangle as he stormed home in a mile rate of 1:56.2.
Portelli has been rapt with the development of his Bettors Delight gelding, who is a half brother to American champion pacer Jeremy's Successor.
"He went really good, he's a great horse and hopefully he can repeat a run like that next week," he said.
"The plan was to go forward but we knew there was a lot of speed on the inside so Blake did a good job to get him to where he did.
"He's won a Group 2 already and he's been great for us from the start."
Fitzpatrick wasn't too concerned with trying to find the front with Tasty Delight and was more than happy to park Tasty Delight in the 1-1 behind Mach Daddy.
Captain Crusader, who was jostling for favouritism with Tasty Delight, easily found the lead from gate one and had Cheetah Lodge right on his tail.
Rickie Alchin's Captain Crusader ran a consistent tempo across the back of the track, with middle quarters of 29.7 and 29.5, which were still fast enough to ask questions of the chasers.
When Mach Daddy couldn't go with the leader it presented an opportunity for Captain Crusader to open up a small break on the field.
Tasty Delight had to work three wide around Mach Daddy while Cheetah Lodge saved ground along the sprint lane to offer up a challenge to the leader.
But Tasty Delight was running with a head full of steam.
Portelli's runner showed the same sort of class he displayed in his recent Group 2 success by kicking clear with a turn of foot beyond his years.
Cheetah Lodge ensured his place in the Gold Crown Final by driving down the inside of Captain Crusader for second.