Tasmanian Norsqui wins the $400,000 Adelaide Cup to complete a marvellous comeback from a freak accident for jockey Chris Symons. Adelaide Cup winner Norsqui with trainer/owner Walter McShane (right), daughter Melanie McShane and owner Keith Graver. TASMANIAN stayer Norsqui, the forgotten horse of the Adelaide Cup, has outlasted his rivals to deliver career-best wins for trainer Walter McShane and jockey Chris Symons. Despite finishing third in last year's edition, the unheralded galloper was barely given a chance this time around - completely unwanted in betting, drifting from $21 to $26. But Norsqui proved the toughest contestant in the $400,000 Group 2 - overcoming the scorching conditions to over-run South Australian stayer Waratone ($15) by a half-length, with Dame Claire ($9.50) a further length and a half back in third. Danny O'Brien's Kutchinsky, who was backed into favouritism at $5, finished fourth, while the other one at the top of the market, Tuscan Fire ($5.50), knocked up badly after leading early and finished a long last and pulled up distressed. While punters and experts had over-looked Norsqui, his Tasmanian trainer kept the faith. "They were forgetting him, but I didn't," a beaming McShane said. He ran a very good race last year at the end of a preparation, this time we programmed him to come here to win it. We had two good lead-ups in the little cups at home - the Hobart and the Launceston cups - both good runs - and it topped him off for this. I've had some big thrills, but this is the biggest. I'm proud of the horse. After starting from barrier six, Symons settled Norsqui midfield during the run while Tuscan Fire set a solid pace. He starting moving with 700m to go, making a line of three with outsider Distillation and Waratone at the top of the straight. But when push came to shove, the six-year-old Matsqui gelding had more in the tank, grinding away to score with style. Symons said Norsqui, who has won eight of his 36 starts and collected over $650,000 in prizemoney, had learned from last year's experience. Norsqui and jockey Chris Symons extend their lead in the shadows of the post. "I think the difference this year is that he was a lot more relaxed," he said. He's a lot more relaxed, he's put on a lot more condition and I just knew that would help me in the finish. The Victorian-based hoop didn't have a lot of time to enjoy the biggest win of his career, rushing off soon after the race to catch a flight back home. Symons has been on the comeback trail after breaking his foot on the eve of last year's spring carnival and was delighted to get the result. "It's taken me a while to get that calibre of race - I'm just over the moon," Symons said. I've been riding for roughly 11 or 12 years and I've been knocking on the door to get a prestigious race like this but it just hasn't happened. I've stuck with this horse and the owners have stuck with me ... we've had a great journey and to win today was just a bonus. It's a great feeling - I only came over for the one ride today, so to get that result is unexplainable.