Tyler Schiller and Team Hawkes combined for a timely Canterbury win, with Tastula breaking through for the Johnson family’s yellow and white colours.

The lightly raced stayer scored in Wednesday’s Captivant @ Kia Ora Handicap (1900m), giving Schiller his first victory since returning from a three-month layoff with a fractured vertebrae.

“Finally. I carved a few corners out of the stone and got the ball moving,” Schiller said.
“Hopefully there are good things to come on the weekend with the colours of the Johnson family. Hopefully Briasa can do the same.”

Briasa resumes in Saturday’s Group 2 The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick as part of his Everest campaign.

Schiller believes Tastula is headed for stronger staying races, describing him as “a big, rangy horse” with further improvement to come.

Earlier, Gerald Ryan unveiled debut winner Snitzel Dancer in the TAB Handicap (1250m), eyeing a future target in the James Carr Stakes.