Final Touch, who had not raced for five weeks, came from last in a nine-horse field and five lengths from the lead at the 350m and overcame a check at the 300m to win by a length and three-quarters.
"A very nice horse. I did not have to pull the whip. She did it all on her own," said Buddy Lammas, who was riding Final Touch for the first time.
Co-trainer John Parsons said the Lightning Handicap (1200m) was the most likely race for Final Touch at Trentham next Saturday.
Final Touch finished sixth in the Thorndon Handicap (1600m) at Trentham in January.
Parsons has ruled O'Cartier out of attempting the Lightning Handicap for a fifth time.
"O'Cartier has had some niggling problems and he will go for a spell," Parsons said. O'Cartier won the race on 2008 and 2011.
• Anzac Star made an impressive return to racing at Wingatui on Saturday.
Anzac Star had not raced for three months after a spell following veterinary treatment for an infection.
"He was unwell and may have had some sort of urinary infection after he last raced in November," Paul Richards, his Wingatui trainer said.
Anzac Star led throughout a rating 75 1200m on Saturday in the hands of stable apprentice Salem Yusof.
It was the fifth win in 12 starts for Anzac Star. Four of his wins have been on his home track.
• Cora Lynn continued her rapid rise when she won the $50,000 NZ Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes, the listed race for 3yr-old fillies.
Cora Lynn began racing with a win at Riccarton six weeks ago.
She now has three wins and a second in four starts. She is trained at Loburn by Mandy and Matt Brown, who race her through Ngapuke Racing Ltd with John Scott, of Christchurch on lease from Windsor Park Stud, Cambridge.
Ken and Veronica Brown, Matt's parents, his brother Robin and wife Vicki are also in Ngapuke Racing Ltd.
Cora Lynn came from ninth at the 600m with a storming finish to win by a head from Ortem Fire, who tracked the pacemaker and took a three length lead at the 200m. Arietta was half a length back third.
Cora Lynn is by Golan, the sire of Kibbutz (VRC Derby), Beauty Flash (a group one winner in Hong Kong), Le Baron (Great Northern Guineas) and My Scotsgrey (New Zealand Cup). She is the seventh foal of Coraletta, a winner over 1400m at Avondale and third to Greta Hall and Leeza in the corresponding fillies races at Wingatui in 1998.
Coraletta (Kaapstad-Crysell Way) is a sister to Kaapstad Way (nine wins).
• The Solitaire confirmed her versatility when she won the open 1600m on Saturday. She had won the Dunedin Cup (2400m) at her previous start five weeks earlier for trainer Steve Anderton and owners the Dennis brothers.
The Solitaire has the South Island Breeders' Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on March 24 as her next assignment with the Riverton Cup (2147m) to follow.
• Rollout The Carpet must show her racing manners are satisfactory in a barrier trial before she races again.
The proviso was imposed by stewards after Rollout The Carpet was relegated from first to second in the Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie on Saturday. Her relegation followed a protest by Jason Bridgman, the trainer of Warhorse, who finished second.
The protest was on the grounds of interference in the run home when Rollout The Carpet shifted out abruptly and checked Warhorse, Mai Guru and Travino.
Jason Waddell, the rider of Travino (fifth) withdrew a protest against the fourth placed Soriano. His protest against Warhorse was dismissed.
• Jon Sargent increased his lead in the trainers' premiership with four wins at Waverley yesterday, taking his tally for the season to 68. He has a lead of 18 wins over Kevin Myers.
Sargent won with Better Be Good (Waverley Cup), Deecruz, Keep Winning and Kasumi.
They all had replacement riders after James McDonald did not attend the meeting due to illness.
Sargent said Better Be Good would be aimed at the Hawkes Bay Cup on April 21. He finished second to Don Domingo in that race last year.
McDonald is the leading jockey with 103 wins, eight ahead of Matthew Cameron.
