The up-and-coming Mortal Engine turned up for the races and went home with another stellar galloping performance for a third win from only four starts on Wednesday.

If there were any anxious moments for the Unencumbered four-year-old, it probably came inside the last 300m of the $50,000 Class 4 race over 1100m when he was seen "floating" a little when jockey Manoel Nunes summoned up the supreme effort from him, but raw ability took care of those few kinks.

Unconquered  (Oscar Chavez) loomed with a brisk turn of foot, even seeming to have the greater ascendancy on the grandstand side, but eventually had to play second fiddle one length away when a superior Mortal Engine kicked into overdrive for that last push to the wire.

The well-backed Romantic  (Akmazani Mazuki) crept up on the pair at the top of the straight but didn't have that punch to pose any significant threat, winding up in third place another two and three-quarter lengths away. The winning time was 1min 4.98secs for the Polytrack 1100m.

After having put the bridle on smart sorts like the late Bold Thruster, Heartening Flyer , Prosperous Return  for the Tivic Stable, winning trainer Michael Clements couldn't wait to test what was under the bonnet of yet another exciting purchase by Thomas Loke.

The Zimbabwean-born handler would, however, still prefer not to reach the top too quickly, keeping his fingers crossed the handicapper wasn't in too much of a bountiful mood ratings-wise in this festive season.

"It all depends how many points the handicapper gives him after today's win. Hopefully, he's not too harsh in the new year!" said Clements.

"I hope he can have another go in Class 4. In Class 3, the pace is a lot stronger and he may not have his own way.

"In saying this, I think he's pretty versatile; he can either sit or lead. Nunes always tells me after his trackwork he is a sensible horse who can also sit off the pace.

"So, I believe he has more scope as he's a horse you can put where you want him to be. At his last start, only the barrier was against him, but after Nunes hunted him up, he went to the front and duly obliged.

"Two runs back he raced on turf, and we switched the racing surface to Polytrack at his last two starts, and he was ridden in similar style by Nunes.

"He was a bit green in the last couple of 100m, but Nunes asked him again to find a bit more and he kept finding.

"He's a horse who is progressing well and he responded well under pressure today."

Mortal Engine  has taken his prizemoney level closer to the $100,000 mark for the Tivic Stable after that third win.