Thubiaan, in just his second steeplechase start, gave veteran trainer Eric Musgrove his fifth triumph in the race, 11 years after his last.

Musgrove, who described the seven-year-old gelding as one of the best horses he has trained, revealed his latest stable star might be bound for rich races in Japan next year.

While he believes Thubiaan could win tomorrow’s Grand Annual Steeplechase, he didn’t enter him in the famous race. “I think if he went in the Annual he would be hard to beat,” the 63-year-old said.

“You have got a horse that has got a fair bit of talent. If you keep going through the season I think he is capable of winning another couple of features if all goes well. You run in the Annual and that is it for the season. 

“But I think he is a horse with a big future and a horse even next season I think we might even take him to Japan.”

Musgrove won a hat-trick of the Grand Jump at Nakayama between 2005-07.

Musgrove said Thubiaan was destined for the Australian Steeplechase later this month and then maybe the Grand National in July.

“He’s a high-class stayer and he just travels within himself all the way and when you ask something he just finds it,” he said.

“He’s tough and he’s honest. He’s a lovely horse and he tries hard and he can gallop. The days of jumping horses being too slow to win on the flat are completely gone.”

Musgrove thanked Sydney-based trainer Chris Waller for sending him Thubiaan about 18 months ago.

“We’ve always been fairly good friends,” Musgrove said.

“He said he had been looking for one to send me and he said this might be the one.

“He was certainly right.”

Thubiaan, by American sire Dynaformer, is now unbeaten in two steeplechase starts having won the Von Doussa at Oakbank last month.

“I couldn’t be more excited,” Musgrove said.

“He’s a level horse, has a high cruising speed and he’s probably one of the best horses I’ve had. I think he’s a very exciting horse.”

Musgrove previously won the Brierly with Sing For Supper in 1985, Commission Red in 1988, Worthy Knight in 1999 and Chakra in 2004.

Jockey Martin Kelly, who rode Thubiaan in the Von Doussa and again yesterday, said they were the two biggest moments in his career. The Brierly win also gave him a double for the day, having earlier won a division of the maiden hurdle.

The 25-year-old from County Wexford in Ireland, who is now based at Leongatha, was thrilled with the victory.

“That’s what I do my job for,” he said.

“This isn’t a job, this is a way of life. I don’t know anything else. This is why I get out of bed in the morning to do this. It’s unbelievable the experience you get.”

But he played down his role in the win.

“It’s very easy to ride a horse like that.”

The Ciaron Maher-trained Regina Coeli set the pace of the race, with Kelly and Thubiaan sitting in behind them. 

At the third-last jump of 19, Thubiaan edged ahead of Regina Coeli before kicking clear in the straight, claiming a six-length win from the Jarrod McLean-trained jumper Jervois, which stormed from last at the Tozer Road double, thanks to a ground-saving ride by Brad McLean. The Pat Hyland-trained King Triton was a further four-and-a-half lengths away third.

The only incident in the race came when the Tony Rosolini-trained Undergroundfighter fell after jumping the third-last obstacle, bringing down South Australian runner Nishiazabu. Both jockeys and horses were uninjured.