Kate Gath delivered a patient drive on the Clayton Tonkin-trained runner from barrier eight, guiding him toward the back of the field before finding mid-race cover and finishing over the top of Muscle Factory to easlily qualify for Sunday's $100,000 4YO & 5YO colts and geldings final.

The Riverina-bred and owned Muscle Factory had built a six-race winning run over the mile trip and was the $1.50 favourite, but couldn't hold out Out To Play ($2.50) over the 2270m distance.

He's a quality horse, he's proven that before and is very seasoned and used to racing against the best horses. Tonight just proved how good he is," Gath said.

"We couldn't get to the lead before him (Muscle Factory) and thought it might be hard after that. They slackened off and I was going to around them, but he's quite a lazy horse.

"When we got cover I knew we could pull out in the 800 and get the death.

"He's really taken it on from the run (fourth in group two Horsham Cup on Sunday) and it was probably a perfect hit out for tonight. I don't think he'll have any trouble getting up again on Sunday the way he's pulled up here."

Star driver Luke McCarthy was pleased with Muscle Factory's run, but said he will need to improve to match it with the likes of Wolf Stride and Max Delight in the final.

Max Delight ($1.10) backed up his second in the group two City of Melton Plate last start with an easy win over Send It ($19).

Melton Plate winner Wolf Stride ($1.04), who also finished third in the Miracle Mile two starts back, overcame a scare before running over the top of the Cameron Hart-driven Crunch Time ($11) late.

"Out To Play drops back from a Miracle Mile and has been racing hard in all those races, whereas our guy (Muscle Factory) has been lightly raced and just going through the grades," McCarthy said.

"We knew it was a test for him tonight. Coming into the series we thought it might just be him and Wolf Stride (battling it out), not realising the Vic breds were allowed in the series. He came up with a harder heat than expected, but he still went good.

"That run will strip him fitter and he'll need to be. It's going to be a really strong final, a future Grand Circuit field really."

Now back in the David Kennedy stable, Whereyabinboppin ($1.90) bounced back from a couple of mediocre Sydney runs hampered by illness to qualify for the final, but couldn't run down the David Hewitt-trained Rockin Marty ($2) in his heat.

Driver Jackson Painting was thrilled with Whereyabinboppin's return to form.

"He was a little bit off, he's had a virus the last few runs but he's come back a lot better now," Painting said.

"I was super happy with him. He settled in good in behind, which is something new for him. He needed the run and will benefit a lot for the final.

"He'll probably draw wide for the final, but we've just got to hope there's some speed on and he'll run home well based on that."

Painting said there will be less pressure on the five-year-old in the final after he was disappointing as a short-priced favourite last year.

"He won't be odds on favourite in this race and hopefully the race is run upside down and we can run over the top of them," he said.

The Stephen Maguire-trained Major Roll is another Riverina hope to qualify for the final after finishing third behind Whereyabinboppin in the fastest heat of the night.

The three heats for Sunday's $100,000 mares final were also due to be run later on Tuesday.

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