The $750,000 Group I ATC The Metropolitan has been dominated by Irish bred stayers in recent years and nothing changed on Saturday with victory going to Foundry (8g Galileo x Sharp Lisa, by Dixieland Band).
Owned by Lloyd Williams and trained by Robert Hickmott at Macedon Lodge, Foundry was making his third run back after nearly a year off the scene.
He hit the line full of running to defeat the Darren Weir-trained Big Duke by half a length in the 2400 metre staying test.
"I'm speechless, I've never ridden a winner at this track, I've been up here a few times now. To win a Group One, I just couldn't be happier," said winning rider Michael Dee.
"To Lloyd Williams and the team at Macedon Lodge, thank you very much for having me on.
"The horse is a beauty, he's just lovely to ride, they brought him here in tip-top shape and he ran accordingly.
"He jumped really well and got there quite easily, I didn't have to use up much gas early."
"I got pushed out three-wide on the bend, but luckily I was able to come back and land in the one-one.
"From then on he travelled beautifully throughout, the team said once he got to the 800m to make it a true staying test so I let him stride and to the horse's credit, he toughed it right out."
Foundry is a brother to Group III winner Housesofparliament, who was also third in the Group I St Ledger.
His dam Sharp Lisa won the Grade I Santa Anita Las Virgenes Stakes and is a half-sister to Grade I Donn Handicap winner Spring At Last.
Foundry becomes the 259th stakes winner and 69th Group I winner for evergreen champion Galileo.
