Nepotism may have missed out on a start in the Golden Slipper, but the talented two-year-old colt could still have his shot at Group 1 glory in Sydney this autumn after an eye-catching victory in the Group 3 Baillieu at Rosehill.

Trained by Michael, John, and Wayne Hawkes, Nepotism debuted with a third-place finish in the Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 8. Although he was among the Golden Slipper acceptors, he was listed as the second emergency and didn’t secure a place in the March 22 race.

Instead, he lined up for his second career start in Tuesday’s Baillieu (1400m) and produced a dominant performance under jockey Tyler Schiller. The son of Brutal sliced through the field before powering home to win by 1-1/2 lengths over Savvy Hallie, with Tupakara another length back in third.

Nepotism remains nominated for Saturday’s Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, and trainer Michael Hawkes left the door open for that assignment.

With acceptances for the Sires’ taken on Tuesday evening—following the postponement of Saturday’s originally scheduled meeting due to wet conditions—his team is weighing up their options.

“Backing up in five days for the Sires’ was always going to be a challenge, but we’re not ruling anything out,” Hawkes said.

“It all depends on how he pulls up.

“We can accept today—it’s a free hit—so we’ll monitor how he recovers. Now that he’s a winner, it changes the picture completely.

“He’s still learning, still maturing, and he’s going to develop into a serious colt.”

Hawkes also confirmed that the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick later this month is a strong possibility, believing the extra distance will suit the colt perfectly.

Having felt Nepotism was unlucky in his Todman Stakes debut—where he finished behind Tentyris and Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton—Hawkes was thrilled to see him deliver on Tuesday.

“He got stuck in traffic that day, Wodeton went past him, and he had to pick himself up before finishing strongly,” Hawkes recalled.

“Today, stepping up to 1400 metres wasn’t ideal after missing Saturday’s race, but we kept him ticking over, and Tyler executed the perfect ride.

“He was a little slow out of the gates, saved ground along the inside, and once he got clear running, he put them away impressively.

“He’s a proper colt with plenty of upside.”