Group targets are now firmly in the future of Tony Cruz’s Stunning Peach after he ran down his rivals to win the Class Two Devon Handicap (1,800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday as part of a brilliant three-timer for the stable.

The Wottoon Bassett galloper recorded his first win since June 2024 when saluting at Sha Tin in February and was in no mood for another long wait for victory, with Angus Chung Lik-lai always looking confident on his mount.

Turning out of the back straight with just one horse behind, the task looked to be tough for the five-year-old despite the fact he was full of running, with a wall of horses to pass in the straight.

Chung took luck out of the equation, however, by switching his charge into the middle of the track and they thundered home over the top of their rivals, winning by a cosy half a length over Beauty Alliance.

A rating in the high 90s now awaits the Group One-placed Irish import, with Cruz looking towards the Group Three Premier Plate (1,800m) in June – which the handler won last year with Beauty Joy – as his main goal.

“I believe this horse is potentially a Group horse and I believe this horse can win a Group Three,” Cruz said. “Today, Angus rode a perfect race.

“There’s a handicap race coming up over 1800m again – 100-rating down – and I’m going to run in those kind of races.

“The race I’m aiming at is at the end of the season, the Premier Plate. Let’s see what he does then.”

Cruz’s day got the perfect end in the concluding Class Three Cumberland Handicap (1,400m), with Winning Ovation making a successful comeback from a tendon injury suffered last May to collect the prize under Alexis Badel.

It was a very smart performance from the British import, who finished 10th in the Group Two Coventry Stakes (1,200m) at Royal Ascot pre-import before saluting at Salisbury when trained by Michael Bell.

It was an all-the-way success for the son of Cotai Glory, who smashed out of stall four under Badel and was soon in command of the race.

When asked to stretch, Winning Ovation showed a smart turn of foot to grab an unassailable break over the $1.8 favourite Super Express, who was unable to bridge the one-and-a-half-length gap to the winner.

The first leg of Cruz’s treble came in the Class Five Somerset Handicap (1,400m) with He Was Me, who scrambled home in a desperate three-way photo finish.

It was a first win at the 20th attempt for the Needs Further galloper, who was lifted home by Andrea Atzeni as part of his remarkable four-timer.

Always travelling well in second behind a runaway leader, Atzeni took over 100m out and showed a willing attitude to fend off a pair of fast-charging rivals in General Smart and The Concentration by a pair of noses.

The three-timer continued a strong period for Cruz, who has trained six winners at the last four meetings and shot up to 26 winners for the campaign.