Lindsay Park’s Ben Hayes could only smile after Evaporate toughed out victory in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

The four-year-old was first-up since running fifth in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield last month, with his spring interrupted by a mild virus that forced a change of program. A sharp Flemington jump-out last week suggested he was back on track.

Blake Shinn took the reins and delivered a daring mid-race move, guiding Evaporate ($3.70) to a short-half-head win over favourite Transatlantic ($2.60), with Athanatos ($7.50) another length-and-a-quarter away in third.

Hayes said the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield looms as the gelding’s next stop.

“I’m glad he won, otherwise he might have been in a bit of trouble,” Hayes joked.

“He made the move, the horse won and full credit to Blake.

“He’s a very exciting horse, like we have always thought, and I think he’s put his hand up to run in the Toorak Handicap in which he can be competitive.

“He got a little virus, had a long time between runs and had a very good horse to his inside which was rock hard fit. I’m very proud of the horse.”

Shinn explained his tactics were driven by the tempo.

“Evaporate is an interesting horse,” Shinn said.

“He’s a bold going horse, a bit arrogant. The speed map had El Rocko and Transatlantic being forward, but the pace wasn’t that fast.

“There was an opportunity for me to creep forward, and I went ‘wow’ I might be able to sneak to the front, so I let him slide.

“I’ve got a lot of trust in this horse. He’s a very good horse on his day, as we know, and in the back of my mind he had had the break between runs, but I know how he likes to be ridden.

“You have to go with him, not fight him and that was the play out there. We caught them on the fly and thankfully we got it right.”