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Honorius booked himself a trip to Melbourne with a thrilling Craven Plate win at Randwick on Saturday.

The impeccably bred David Payne four-year-old narrowly edged out Lloyd Williams import Masked Marvel with Gai Waterhouse’s Tibbie Stakes (1400m) winner Vaquera working home evenly for third.

Chris Waller’s well-backed Kelinni settled at the rear and failed to beat a runner home.

Payne plans to scour the Victorian racing calendar to find the next assignment for Honorius.

“I’m going to take him to Melbourne and just look for one of the easier races, duck the big boys and go and try and pinch another stakes race,” Payne said.

“I want to pick an easier route for him. We’ll find one.”

It was the second win this campaign for Honorius and came after his narrow second to Metropolitan fancy Prince Cheri in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

Fellow Metropolitan hopeful Julienas ran third in the same race prior to last weekend’s Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) win.

Today’s win was the second jockey James McDonald had orchestrated on the horse in just his third ride aboard the half brother to South African superstar Igugu.

McDonald opposed him last spring when winning aboard It’s A Dundeel in the Gloaming Stakes and the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m), and always felt he was a talented horse.

He expected Honorius to perform well in Melbourne.

“He’ll measure up for sure, he’s a bloody good horse,” McDonald said.

“He was in all those good three-year-old races as a three-year-old, up against It’s A Dundeel and that.

“David’s done a wonderful job placing the horse.”

McDonald said the horse did a brilliant job to fight off 2011 English St Leger winner Masked Marvel.

“He found that half length when he needed to, he sprinted really quick for a furlong and a half,” McDonald said.

“Masked Marvel, he was coming at me at the end but he dug deep. I wouldn’t like to see him past 2000, but he runs a good 2000m out.”