Lightly-raced gelding Laser Hawk, aided by a rails-hugging ride from Nash Rawiller, won a thrilling Group One Rosehill Guineas on Saturday.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained half-brother to multiple Group One winner Desert War gave Rawiller his 39th win at the elite level when he held on tenaciously to beat New Zealanders Ocean Park and Silent Achiever.
Laser Hawk’s win was his fourth from just five starts and took his prizemoney past $400,000.
The Artie Schiller gelding had an interrupted passage after being slowly away when third to star filly Mosheen in the Group One Randwick Guineas (1600m) last start and appreciated the step up to 2000m on Saturday.
“I really thought he put the writing on the wall last start in the Randwick Guineas,” Rawiller said.
“She took the blinkers off today, it was a great call by Gai.”
In an ominous warning to his Australian Derby rivals over 2400m at Randwick in two weeks, Rawiller said: “The further he goes the better he’ll be.”