Former Mudgee trainer Cameron Crockett's Commando Hunt takes down elusive home Scone Cup win

Commando Hunt completed the Muswellbrook-Scone Cup double thanks to an ideal run off the pace and a gutsy finish to hold off the Kris Lees-trained Luncies and Acquitted by a quarter- and a half-length respectively.

The Lyle Chandler-trained Banju ($3.70) led before being swamped in the final furlong to finish ninth.

Jeff Penza gave Commando Hunt a sit slightly better than midfield with cover before peeling him out on the home turn for a clear shot at the leaders.

The five-year-old Time Of War gelding hit the front approaching the 200m mark and pinched a gap before holding on late. Commando Hunt won the Muswellbrook Cup (1500m) in March for his ticket to the $2 million Big Dance (1600m) in November, but he was then third in the Tamworth Cup - one and a half lengths behind Banju. Crockett, who hails from Mudgee, said it was unbelievable to win his adopted home's cup.

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"After Tamworth I thought I had him a bit underdone, trying to keep him fresh, so we gave him a fair bit of work the last couple of weeks," Crockett told Sky Racing.

"I think the biggest key is he actually had kissing spine [when vertebrae are too close] and he had the surgery, but we tried to keep him fresh and keep him back to shorter trips for all those country-only events and now he's really finding his place out further."

Crockett told the Mudgee Guardian that after a well-earned rest they will work to get Commando Hunt back into shape for Randwick in November.

"He's gone for a rest for three weeks. Then he'll come in and plot a path so he can be fourth or fifth up in the Big Dance, same as he was into the Tamworth and Muswellbrook cups...," he said.

"We'll make sure we get him out early enough with plenty of time to get him fit and get him back up racing so that he's in the same state in his preparation - then by November for the Big Dance as he was when he won at Scone."