Having qualified fastest with a time of 29.81 from last week’s heats, Keybow was given a tricky assignment from box seven, made more difficult by a slightly sluggish start in the final.

But, despite failing to find the lead after the first turn, East Maitland owner and breeder Kel Lean knew that once Keybow had avoided early traffic he’d be hard to stop.

“He didn’t start all that well, but he soon mustered speed, and once I saw him going round in second spot I knew he was going to be a chance,” he said.

“I was a bit worried round the back when he got sandwiched, but he did really well to push through. t was a gutsy win.”

After using speed to avoid ­traffic throughout the trip, Keybow put on the afterburners on the final turn and cleared out to win by three-and-a-quarter lengths.

Outsider Fusaichi Kahn ($30.80) came from box six to finish second and defending Brisbane Cup champion Kiss Me Ketut ($8.40) was third.

The win was Keybow’s 12th of the calendar year and 18th overall in a 38-race career that has now yielded $483,885.

After a six-race preparation that included runs in the Topgun, Melbourne Cup and Brisbane Cup, Lean said Keybow would be given a short spell before contesting the Cranbourne Cup and Sydney’s Paws of Thunder in early January. 

Lean said both he and Victorian trainer Darren McDonald were hoping to see the dog continue his top form well into 2015.

“I think he’s got a few more races left in him, definitely,” he said.

“He’s still relatively young, and Darren is keen to keep racing him so we’ll just have to see how he comes back next year.”