Lindsay Park’s Evaporate returned from a setback to land Saturday’s Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) at Sandown, holding off favourite Transatlantic in a thrilling finish.

The four-year-old had been sidelined by a mild virus since finishing fifth in the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes last month, but a sharp Flemington jump-out signalled he was back on track.

Ridden by Blake Shinn, Evaporate ($3.70) pressed forward mid-race before digging deep to score by a short-half-head over Transatlantic ($2.60), with Athanatos ($7.50) third.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes admitted he was surprised by Shinn’s tactics. “I’m glad he won, otherwise he might have been in a bit of trouble,” Hayes joked. “He’s a very exciting horse … I think he’s put his hand up to run in the Toorak Handicap.”

Shinn said he trusted the gelding’s bold style. “You have to go with him, not fight him … we caught them on the fly and thankfully we got it right.”