Sun Stud's highly popular stallion Fiorente (IRE) has a live chance in the Group 1 Australian Guineas with the progressive Hawkshot who carried the Sun Bloodstock colours to an imperious victory in Saturday's Group II Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
With his first stakes success, Hawkshot advances his record to 3 wins and 3 seconds from 8 starts with earnings of $261,850.
"Mark knew the horse very well and let him roll to the front and he dictated and kicked away on the corner and couldn't have been more impressive," co-trainer Ben Hayes told AAP.
Mark Zahra said it was the patient approach early on that is reaping dividends.
"He used to be trained by Weiry and we spent four runs riding him quiet and I think it was that early prep in getting him to settle that did the trick and today we took him straight to the front, got him to relax and he was never going to lose," he said.
It was a timely win for the homebred as Sun Stud will be offering a half-sister by Ready For Victory at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
They are out of the Encosta de Lago mare Rosa Perlato who is a daughter of the stakes-placed Danehill mare Fiammarosa who is a sister to Shinzig and Strada.
After missing to Palentino in 2017, Rosa Perlato was covered by Sun Stud's first season stallion Thronum last spring.
Hawkshot becomes the second stakes-winner from the first crop of Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente (IRE) covered 169 mares at Sun Stud last spring at a fee of $17,600.