Two starts after claiming the Cromwell Cup, the Brian and Shane Anderton-trained gelding posted win No. 7 to take his stake earnings to close to $200,000.
The son of Ghibellines looked to be up against it for the majority of the 2200m race.
Early pace-setter The Tui Toiler held a two-length lead over Riviera Rock for a long stretch.
Corey Campbell stayed patient on board Capo Dell Impero, however, and got a run through the middle with about 300m to run.
Then it was after-burners on for the topweight (60kg), who left the other contenders gasping in his wake.
It was a first start at both the distance and the rating 89 class for Capo Dell Impero, who went into the contest off the back of an encouraging run at Timaru, where he made up plenty of ground to finish in midfield over 1600m.
"He really appreciated the step back up to 2200m after running home nicely over a mile at Timaru," Shane Anderton told Love Racing.
"He is a horse that has just got better with time, as most of his family do, and we think he could be even better over a little further.
"They went hard early in the race and he got a good run which helps when you are carrying that sort of weight, but he finished off nicely and won well."
Anderton is looking at the $100,000 Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui on February 3 as the most likely target for his charge, although he is wary of the weight he may be allocated in the open handicap event.
"He has won a few races now and has got up in the weights pretty quickly," he told Love Racing.
"The natural target for him looks like the Dunedin Gold Cup as it is on his home track and they are running for good money.
"We think he is well suited to the 2400m of that race although we had toyed with taking him to Trentham for the Wellington Cup for a crack over two miles [3200m]."
Favourite Elegant Lady made up ground to claim third in the Waikouaiti Cup, a neck behind Mr Intelligence.
Campbell later copped a suspension for his ride in race 6.
He admitted a charge of careless riding after shifting inwards on mount Bourbon Chique, and he will miss four riding days from January 21.
The Waikouaiti races at Wingatui also featured two heats — the fourth and fifth of the summer — in the Otago Daily Times Southern Mile series.
In the first, 5yr-old gelding Willis claimed a second straight win for Southland owner-trainer Barry Howden.
Willis was four wide early and had to show strength in the run home to win by three-quarters of a length.
Burgie, the White Robe Lodge mare and defending Southern Mile champion, was third.
Gutsy gelding Richard Stomper won the second heat for Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner.
Richard Stomper claimed three points in the series for his seventh at Wingatui on Boxing Day.
Heat six is at Riccarton on January 27.
