Mirfin, who won the qualifier with Cosmologist in 2018 and finished second last year with Electrified, enter two horses in the qualifier, with his other chance Buzzoni running 12^th.

It was a photo finish in the end, with the Michael Mulholland-trained Old Harbour ($6) finishing just 0.07 of a metre ahead of Hamogany to take home victory.

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Mirfin admitted that if Hamogany's head was slightly bigger he would've won, but he was still pleased with the result.

"I suspected when he hit the line, I thought he didn't quite get there. I thought that the inside horse had won," he said.

"I then heard them say it was very close. There was a certain angle, so I was starting to think maybe we might get it. I then watched the replay before we went back to the enclosure and that's when I thought the inside horse won.

"I was very pleased that she ran second. I think the horse raced as good as we expected. I went to the races thinking we'd have a good outside chance and he ran super."

There were also a number of other Bathurst chances in the qualifier, including Gayna Williams' Healing Hands (third) and Chevconi (sixth) and Roy L McCabe's Smart Decision (10th).

Mirfin said he's planning months in advance before the qualifier and he's already starting to think ahead to next year's.

"I start planning for this particular race months in advance and I work out which horses will be the best ones that would be suitable to aim for," he said.

"I then closely monitor what other trainers have going towards the race, so I can see where I sit with other horses. There's a lot of planning that goes into it.

"I've only got 12 horses in the stable but we've actually had 12 horses contest the heats. We have a high volume of runners for a small stable because we aim for it.

"I love the race, the whole concept. It's a really good thing for country horses to aim towards. I'll keep doing it again next year and I've already started thinking about it."

The final is at Royal Randwick on April 3.

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