New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.

The Gerry Harvey-bred son of resident Westbury Stud stallion Swiss Ace downed his fellow greys in the 1400m event after giving McDonald a hard time before barrier rise.

“He’s a quirky bugger and he was pretty hard work going down to the gates,” he said.

“He tried to buck me off, which I wasn’t pleased about this early in the carnival, but I managed to stay on.”

The Kris Lees-trained Cloudland was all business once the gates opened and showed early speed from a wide gate to enjoy a soft run in third spot away from the fence.

The six-year-old ambled to the front 300m from home and held a strong gallop to win by three-quarters of a length.

The well-travelled Cloudland has been a five-time winner in New South Wales and his Flemington victory came off the back of two placings during a three-start Queensland campaign.

“It looked the right race for him, so it’s a really pleasing result,” stable representative Cameron Swan said.

“He can be a bit erratic and did wander around a bit, but he is very consistent and Kris has placed him really well.”

Cloudland was purchased by OTI Racing after winning a trial on the all-weather track at Cambridge for trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray.

He is out of the stakes performed Congrats mare Commiserate, who is from the family of the Group Two winners Sarson Trail, Arinosa, Sweet Sherry and her daughter Eneeza.

Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood went to $240,000 to secure Cloudland’s half-sister by Tarzino, since named Honor Mission, at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2023.

Earlier this year at Karaka, Ontrack Thoroughbreds secured another half-sister by Tarzino for $140,000 and Commiserate is again due to foal to Westbury’s dual Group One-winning son of Tavistock.