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Low-priced Karaka purchase Trust In You (NZ) (Sweynesse) completed a rapid rise through New Zealand's staying ranks with a barnstorming win in the $220,000 Group Three Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Pukekohe on New Year's Day.

Trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley secured Trust In You from Book 2 of Karaka 2020, paying only $26,000. The gelding has now had 22 starts for four wins, four placings and $279,405 in stakes – almost 11 times that purchase price.

Trust In You began this season with just one win to his name from 14 starts. He had placed in another two races and earned just over $30,000 in stakes. The five-year-old collected his second win in a 1600-metre Rating 65 in September, then placed twice over 2100 metres before hitting a new level with a breakthrough win in the $125,000 Dunstan Horsefeeds Stayers' Championship Final (2400m) on Boxing Day. That earned him a shot at a Group Three prize six days later, and Trust In You rose to the occasion and delivered again.

Trust In You was ridden by Jason Collett, who is now based in Sydney but made a flying visit back to his old home track for the New Year's Day meeting. Collett settled near the rear of the field, then brought Trust In You to the outside to launch his run.

Front-runner Khan Hunter (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) appeared to have opened up a race-winning margin in the straight, but Trust In You's stamina and power shone through. He rapidly ate into Khan Hunter's margin, then swept past him late in the race to score by a head.

"That was a good performance," Collett said. "He backed it up from his impressive win the other day, and it was the same again today. It was quite easy in the end. I had the back of the favourite Terra Mitica (Ulysses), and once I was able to come off its back and knew I had it covered, it was just a case of putting away the leader. It was a tough win."

Wallace and Cooksley are now working backwards from the $500,000 Group Two Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 9.

"That was a very good run," Cooksley said. "He'd pulled up really well from the run last week. We didn't do much with him during the week, and he's won well today. He'll probably have a bit of a break now and then come back for the Auckland Cup."

Trust In You became the seventh individual stakes winner for Novara Park stallion Sweynesse, who has enjoyed plenty of time in the spotlight in the last 12 months courtesy of outstanding Hong Kong sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ). Sweynesse is the sire of seven yearlings in Book 1 of Karaka 2024 later this month, with another 10 in Book 2.

Runner-up Khan Hunter is also a Karaka graduate, bought for $130,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. He has had 32 starts for five wins, seven placings and $182,515 in prize-money.