A six-year-old gelding son of Universal Prince, a 16-1 chance, who races with three screws in his knee, gained a dream run for Peter Graham to ridden him hands and heels to a length win from Save A Buck (50-1) with Prussian Secret (12-1) an unlucky long neck away third.

Graham said he “got a nice run up” to miss any interference and claim victory in a good 1min 22.2secs.

It was Universal Belief’s eighth career win and fourth from his last five outings.

“He’s a pretty fair horse,” his 70-year-old trainer Jim Delaney said yesterday.

“Hasn’t been going too bad at all. Never though how good he might have been.

“He had two years and eight months out with a broken knee. He races with three screws in his knee.

“They gave him 25 per cent chance at best of ever racing again.”

Universal Belief hurt himself when running third in the 2009 Grafton Guineas and the Delaneys, who own a share in him, nursed him back to health and racing fitness.

“He’s got some heart,” Delaney said.

He’s had some fair horses in his day too.

He also trained at Muswellbrook for a while.

“Had a small stud near the track there but got squeezed out by the mines,” Delaney said.

“Had one behind me and one beside me.”

The dust wasn’t good for him or his horses, so 12 years ago they moved to Taree and he’s been training a few from there since.

Last year’s Cup winner Scussy Moola was scratched yesterday morning which allowed Robert Thompson, who rode Scussy Moola last year, to jump on Save A Buck and nearly win with the 50-1 shot.

Local horse Prussian Secret got home late.

“He was unlucky,” his owner/trainer Cody Morgan said.

“Benny (Looker) said if he draws a gate he just wins.”