The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained three-year-old gelding Kibou continued his upward momentum with his all the way win in the Up And Coming Stakes (1300 metres) at Rosehill on Saturday.
Kibou is a $7 second favourite for $1 million The Golden Rose (1400 metres) at Rosehill on September 24 with TopSport behind last season’s star two-year-old Fireburn.
Kibou took up the running from the outset and led clearly by three lengths after 200 metres before his jockey Regan Bayliss restrained him.
He then over-raced and Bayliss was able to get him to come back to him. The son of Japanese then kicked clear early in the straight to go and win by 2.18 lengths.
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Bayliss said Kibou had come on “in leaps and bounds” in his trackwork after his fourth in The Rosebud over 1100 metres where he said he was out of his comfort zone over that sprint distance.
“I knew he was a red hot chance today and he put it together nicely,” Bayliss said after the win.
He said that Kibou was “a little bit awkward to ride” but had a lot if improvement still to come and his ability was untapped.
HORSES TO FOLLOW
GOLDEN MILE
He finished in the style of a smart horse when second behind Kibou. He ran the quickest last 600 metres of 34.22 seconds with his last 200 metres the equal quickest of the race at 11.13 seconds with Ringmaster. His jockey Sam Clipperton said after the race: “Very happy with his run. He’s going to take plenty of improvement.”
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BORN A KING
Sat second, travelled in the run and when apprentice Dylan Gibbons asked the son of Frankel to go he charged away to win by 4.54 lengths. He’s improving with racing and is shaping as an ideal Metropolitan candidate.
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ANGEL OF TRUTH
He hasn’t won his ATC Derby victory in April 2019 but he gave the indication he could be in for a good campaign with his solid first-up sixth behind Old Flame over 1500 metres. He looked a winning chance with 300 metres to go but died on his run. Surely there’s a race for him this time in.
WATERFORD
Former English galloper who couldn’t have been more impressive winning first-up at only his third start and second in Australia when he rounded up the field to win the Drinkwise Handicap over 1500 metres running his last 600 metres in 34.24 seconds. Waller said he peaked on his run over the last 100 metres, and he was entitled to that being first-up from a spell and coming from the rear. Waller said he was still learning about him but he had so many options for the four-year-old but his initial plan was to work through the grades with him.
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