Smart three year old Havana was back in the winner’s stall with a comfortable win in the Group 3 $125,000 Ascend Sales Trophies Fred Best Classic (1350m) at Doomben today.

Havana back in winner's stall in Fred Best Classic. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Havana was sent out at the good odds of $14 and would have kept his faithful followers happy if they stuck with him after running second as the $2.15 favourite in the Listed $100,000 Channel Seven Mick Dittman Plate (1110m) at Doomben last week.

Luke Nolen gave Havana a cosy run in third and fourth position before pushing up along the fence to beat Into The Red ($26) by one length with Dothraki ($6) putting in a good effort to finish third.

Nolen was impressed with the way Havana hit the line and has no worries about the three year old  handling 1600m now that he has been gelded.

“I think he is a smart horse. He has got that cruising speed and I think he would be quite effective out to a mile,” Nolen said.

All the talk before the race was about the Phillip Stokes trained Hucklebuck who was sent out the $2.90 favourite but after pulling himself to the lead in the early stages failed to run on for Dom Tourneur in the straight and faded to finish fourth, one and quarter length from the winner.