Everest intrigue intensified following the running of the $1 million G2 ATC Premiere Stakes (1,200m) at Randwick on Saturday with unheralded I Am Invincible gelding Airman producing a career best performance to hold off fast finishing G1 winners Mazu, Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick to score his first stakes win.

Trained by Team Hawkes, Airman worked through his grades last year and showed more than a glimmer of elite ability when splitting I Am Me and Bella Nipotina in the $2 million ATC Sydney Stakes on Everest Day. His subsequent runs have largely been below par and this preparation he’s been sixth at his first two runs back behind Joliestar and McHale so was hardly expected to trouble the Everest bound A listers.

But trouble them he did under a super ride from Zac Lloyd. Airman jumped swiftly and with the two horses drawn inside of him firing straight to the front he was allowed to find the fence and spend no petrol in the run.

When shown clear running after turning for home, Airman had a red hot go and it was good enough to deliver a head win in a thriller!

Michael Hawkes didn’t expect to be in the winner’s circle, but was happy to take the win.

“When Zac came out, obviously he’d just ridden the Flight Stakes winner, we spoke about this race and the plan about being fourth one out and as he walked away he said ‘Listen, I’ll win and he’ll get in The Everest and the rest is history.’… I didn’t believe him!” said Hawkes, who indicated connections would be open to Everest offers.

“I’ve always had a lot of confidence in this horse and when he won here last year, I think it Was Epsom day, he really blew them away and obviously it was a very strong field today, a secondary Everest, but he did everything right and I was more than happy to come up the fence,” said Zac Lloyd.

A $500,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Hawkes Racing from the Segenhoe Stud draft, Airman runs for a syndicate headed by Rupert Legh in whose colours he runs with his breeder Chris Barham also in the ownership.

He has the overall record of six wins and three placings from 15 starts with prize money of $1.3 million.

Foaled, raised and sold by Segenhoe, Airman is the best of three winners from stakes-placed Fastnet Rock mare Zara Bay, a sister to G1 winner Merchant Navy, stakes-winner Setanta and G2 winner Jolie Bay, the dam of G1 winner Joliestar, who heads next to The Everest.

Zara Bay has foaled this spring producing a filly by I Am Invincible’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes-winning son, Home Affairs – that will be a three-quarter sister to Airman.

Airman is the 109th stakes-winner for reigning champion sire I Am invincible.