After two photo finishes in the first two races at Cromwell on Sunday, Megalomaniac (NZ) (Pure Champion) gave the judge a breather with a dominant three-and-a-quarter length win in the Wingatui Function Centre (1400m).

Under a positive ride from Kozzi Asano, Megalomaniac found the front from the widest barrier (13), he was then able to dictate the tempo and never looked in doubt putting on a show for the large crowd in attendance.

“Kozzi rode him super,” trainer Andrew Carston said of his stable apprentice who has been on loan to Tony Pike in the North Island.

“He had a good day and picked up a couple of winners. It was great to have him down here and to get one for us.”

Carston wasn’t surprised to see the four-year-old gelding, who came into the meeting off a second placing last start pick up his maiden win.

“He’s a nice horse and he nearly won during Cup Week so I was expecting a good run. He’d been knocking on the door for a while,” he said.

Megalomaniac is raced by Carston along with Jeff and Tanya McCall and the Pussy Galore Syndicate and he has now won one and placed in four of 12 starts.

“I do think he’s a horse that will win more than one and he seems to be going the right way,” Carston said.

“He’ll probably run again at Ashburton in a couple of weeks’ time, depending on how he comes through the run and trip away but there’s plenty of racing coming up over the holidays so we can pick and choose.”

Megalomaniac is by South Canterbury-based Willow Glen Stud’s sire Pure Champion, who had two winners on the day with Tyler Eight also successful.