Instead just hours after Defiant's breakthrough win at Menangle he was lining up at the Coolamon trials.

The Junee reinsman only arrived home around 2.30am on Sunday morning but five hours later he was back on the road.

However the quick trip was more than worthwhile as Riverina form held true in the Regional Championships State Final.

However this time it was Defiant who held off a late charge to provide McRae and veteran Junee trainer Trevor White with their first group one success.

McRae was thrilled not only to taste group one glory for the first time, but to do it with White made it all the more special.

"It's pretty special and it was an amazing feeling," McRae said. "It makes it a bit more special to do it with Trev as he's helped me out so much over the last two or three years.

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"It's really special for all the family involved as it is such a family-orientated business.

"All the sisters, nieces and nephews all go up there and help so it is pretty special."

For the second week running Defiant came up with the one barrier in the group one series.

He couldn't run down Rocknoll Runa in the Riverina final last week, but McRae thought he appreciated Menangle more.

"Trev was right as he knew he was going to be a little bit better for the run last week," he said.

"He just had a little bit more time to wind him in and his strength proved too strong for them, which we thought it might if he got the right run.

"He absolutely flew the gate this week, I think because the mobile was rolling a bit faster he had a bit more time to balance up.

"In the warm up he felt a lot more sharp, whether it was because he was stepping up to a track he had never been after the travel, but I thought he was going to get out well after that."

In a close finish Defiant held off Lets Get Rockin to win by a head. Rocknroll Runa finished fourth, beaten 2.2 metres.

However it was still a successful night for Euroley combination Jackson Painting and David Kennedy after Braedos Lad took out the consolation of the series.

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