IS age catching up with Hot Danish? That was the burning question after Hot Danish wilted in searing heat and ran third to the impressive Centennial Park in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill yesterday.

Trainer Les Bridge and jockey Tim Clark could offer no excuses after the glamour mare found the lead as expected early but then could not hold off the determined challenges of Centennial Park and Love Conquers All.

"All I can hope is she needed the run," Bridge said. "If not, we are sunk."

Clark said Hot Danish had travelled well during the race and could shed no further light on her defeat.

"The other two were just too good for her on the day," Clark said. "I wasn't disappointed in her."

Hot Danish is rising eight-year-old mare and has begun what is likely to be her last race campaign before she is retired to stud.

She was expected to protect her near-perfect first-up record and was sent out the $2 favourite but after leading comfortably to the turn, was immediatley under pressure and could not dash clear like she usually does in her races.

Centennial Park ($11), brilliantly ridden by Corey Brown, unleashed an impressive burst of acceleration to run over the top of his rivals and win by three-quarters of a length from Love Conquers All ($3.20), with Hot Danish still fighting on commendably for third, only a half head away.

Brown rode a winning treble with Centennial Park coming after his earlier successes with Miskish and Lone Command. It was also his second Expressway Stakes win after scoring on Rangirangdoo last year.

Rangirangdoo completed the Expressway Stakes-Doncaster Mile double last autumn and that is the program trainer David Payne intends to follow with Centennial Park.

"If Centennial Park had legs, he would be a very good Group One horse," Payne said.

"He's had a lot of injury problems during his career and that hasn't helped him.

"But he has never been sounder than he is right now and hopefully he can hold together because there is a big race in him. We are going to aim towards the Doncaster."

Brown admitted he was surprised how well Centennial Park was travelling mid-race and was confident the sprinter would be in the finish.

"We were right behind Jim Cassidy (Love Conquers All) and I could feel my horse was ready to really let down when I went for him," Brown said.

"He sprinted very quickly at the top of the straight and if anything we got to the front too soon but he was never going to lose from that point.

"This is a pretty nice horse and he's in for a good autumn."

Love Conquers All pleased Team Hawkes with his tough comeback run.

"He ran well, we've got to be happy with that," trainer John Hawkes said.

"It shows he's come back in good form this time in so we will see how he pulls up and then work out where to run him next."

Danleigh ran an eyecatching fourth, hitting the line hard in an comeback run which pleased jockey Hugh Bowman.

"His condition gave out in the last 100m but it was a top run," Bowman said.

Danleigh will race next in the Group Two Apollo Stakes, a race he won 12 months ago after a first-up unplaced run in the Expresssway Stakes.