The five-year-old blew away his rivals to win the TAB.com.au Benchmark 95 Handicap (1100m), beating a field that included the likes of stakes winners Zaratone and Howmuchdoyouloveme.

Now under the care of Hawkesbury trainer Tony McEvoy after starting his career with Peter Nestor, Shiraz had trialled well on a heavy track prior to Saturday’s run, and while McEvoy knew the lightly-raced gelding was going well he had one reservation heading into the race.

“I wasn’t sure how he would go when he was really let down on the wet track,” McEvoy said. “He’d been working well on it at home and won a trial it by five lengths but the only query I had was how he would go when his head was let go and he was asked to go under race conditions.”

Those fears were quickly dispelled though as jockey Jason Collett was able to get the gelding off the fence rounding the home turn and quickly put the race beyond doubt.

From a low draw, Collett gave Shiraz the run of the race behind a hot speed set by the flying grey Zaratone ($6.00, Rachael Murray).

Rounding the home turn Zaratone slipped away but at the same time as he pinched a break on his rivals Shiraz was looming large down the outside.

In the space of 100m the race was beyond doubt and the well-supported $3.20 favourite came away to win easily by one-and-a-half lengths from a dead-heat between Zaratone and Casual Choice ($17.00, Thomas Huet).

“He really impressed me because even though he’d won a couple of races in town before that was by far his toughest test,” McEvoy said.

“In the end he dominated though and I think Colleen and the other owners, who are a delightful group of people, are going to have a good preparation with him.

“This is my second preparation with him now and I’m learning more about him. He’s a busy horse and always wanting to do more but my job has been a lot easier because of how well he was handled by Peter Nestor early.

“He is a rising six-year-old but he’s lightly-raced and has a good record, and the reason that is the case is because Peter looked after his early issues so well, and Colleen treats him like one of the family. He’s her pet.”

Saturday’s win took Shiraz’s career record to seven wins and two minor placings from 12 starts, and boosted his earnings past the $200,000 mark, and while it would be easy to set the bar high on the back of the run McEvoy will remain patient.

“He’s still relatively low in the benchmark ratings so we will look at a 1200m Benchmark 90 race at Rosehill in a fortnight and then a 1300m Benchmark 95 a fortnight after that,” he said.

“If he came through those runs with flying colours then obviously his rating will be much higher and we’d have to start looking at testing him in bigger and better races.”