Evaporate soaks up narrow win in 2025 Sandown Stakes

Sandown racegoers saw Evaporate announce himself as a serious spring contender with a gutsy victory in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes.

The Lindsay Park-trained four-year-old, who had been sidelined briefly by a virus after contesting the P B Lawrence Stakes, returned to form in style. Blake Shinn’s bold tactics paid off as Evaporate ($3.70) held off Transatlantic ($2.60) by a short-half-head, with Athanatos finishing third.

Ben Hayes suggested the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) is now firmly in sight.

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

“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 that he took advantage of a race shape that lacked 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.”