In front of a large crowd the son of former international galloping sensation Helissio proved much too good for his rivals as he strode away for a three and a half length win.

Purchased at the 2001 Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $80,000, Helenus at just his fourth start graduated to racing's elite with tonight's sizzling performance.

Even though he didn't race kindly in the middle stages for talented Group One winning jockey Steven King, Helenus was able to stroll past the leaders rounding the famous Valley turn and end the race with more than a couple of hundred metres to run.

Flemington based Corstens was a little worried about the colt being able to handle tonight's conditions after a less than convincing gallop on the strathayr surface early in the week.

"He didn't work that well when we brought him here to work on Monday morning," Corstens said. "But he may have really appreciated the conditions out there tonight."

Corstens said the promising young performer would head to the Group One Carlton Draught Caulfield Guineas in eight days time.

In a major shock connections indicated that if the colt was to win the million dollar Guineas they would most likely spell the colt and not press on to the Group One VRC Derby in November.

"The owners are not greedy and he is a stallion in the making," Corstens' training son Troy said in the aftermath.

Bred by the Hunter Valley based Widden Stud, Helenus was selected as a yearling by Troy Corstens who purchased the youngster on behalf of stable clients Jos and Thecla Xipell.

"This is the third horse they have had with us and they have all been stakes winners," Corstens Jnr added.

It's been a long time between drinks for Leon Corstens, a former Bart Cummings stable foreman, who's last Group winner came thanks to Royale Exit in the Norman Robinson Stakes nearly two years ago.

Tonight Helenus was piloted by Steven King who has made a successful return to race riding in Melbourne after a length riding stint in Hong Kong in recent years.

At the post Helenus proved his class winning the Group Two event by three and a half lengths from the Peter Moody trained Ain't Here, while the race favourite Half Hennessy was a further two lengths away in third place.

Rohatyn was originally fourth over the line, but was relegated back to fifth after a protest from the original fifth placed Cool Trent's jockey was upheld by stewards at a subsequent hearing.

PICS - Quentin Lang.

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