Astute trainer David Payne is no stranger to G1 success and has always held Supido mare Shohisha in high regard and she showed the potential of better things to come this spring when powering home to win the Benchmark 94 event over 1600m at Randwick on Saturday.
Ridden by apprentice jockey Anna Roper, Shohisha was having her second run back from a spell following a first up fourth to Autumn Glow in the Group III ATC Toy Show Quality.
She enjoyed a good run in transit and chimed in with a well-timed burst of acceleration to score by a long neck taking her overall record to four wins from nine starts with prizemoney topping $326,000.
Stakes-placed in the Listed Gosford Guineas last season, Shohisha will have a myriad of options during the spring to target further Black Type races.
Shohisha was retained to race by her breeder Geoff Evers in partnership and is the first winner for Group III ATC Epona Stakes winner Consommateur (NZ), who comes from the family of Group I winners Magic of Sydney and Daney Boy.
Consommateur has a two year-old filly by Supido called Asagao and after missing to him in 2023 was covered by the Widden Stud based son of Sebring again last spring.
Supido stands at a fee of $9,900 this spring and has some real upside to come with his biggest ever crop of foals (110) just turned two and another big crop of nearly 100 yearlings to follow.