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Up-and-comer He’s A Doozy (NZ) (Zacinto) stepped up to stakes class in style at Trentham on Sunday, heading a trifecta for New Zealand Bloodstock graduates in the $85,000 Group Three Gee Hickton Funeral Directors Thompson Handicap (1600m).

Bought by trainer Lisa Latta for $70,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2019, the five-year-old gelding has had 19 starts for six wins, four placings and $160,325 in stakes. Sunday's black-type breakthrough came courtesy of a brilliant victory over gallant placegetters Markus Aurelius (NZ) (Ghibellines) and Deerfield (NZ) (Falkirk), who were also purchased from NZB sales.

He's A Doozy was given a dream ride by Kozzi Asano in Sunday's race, settling towards the back of the field along the rail before scything through a narrow gap in the straight.

Markus Aurelius had swooped around the outside of the field and loomed as a distinct danger wider out on the track, but He's A Doozy sprinted through one off the rail and kicked clear to score by three-quarters of a length.

"I thought he was in a spot of bother at the 300 metres, but he just rode him patiently and the gaps opened up," Latta said. "He does like Trentham and looked well placed today with the 53.5 kilograms.

"He has just taken a bit of time. We had a really big opinion of him as a three-year-old, but he disappointed us a couple of times. I just think it was immaturity, and he has just gone from strength to strength now that he has furnished."

Runner-up Markus Aurelius was bought for just $13,000 by Te Akau Racing's David Ellis at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock South Island Sale. He has now had 24 starts for seven wins and seven placings, earning $285,833 in stakes – 22 times his purchase price.

The third-placed Deerfield was an $80,000 purchase from the 2015 Select Sale. His 49-start career has produced 13 wins, 13 placings and over $352,000 in prizemoney.