Talented colt Siege Of Quebec has taken another step towards Group One features in the spring with a commanding win in his Sydney debut at Rosehill.
Hugh Bowman looked to have seized the initiative on the Chris Waller-trained Calculated ($2.70) in the two-year-old handicap (1400m) on Saturday but Siege Of Quebec rallied to score by half a length in front of his fellow rising star.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained son of Fastnet Rock will now freshen up to prepare for the Group Three Ming Dynasty at Randwick on August 26, a stepping stone to the Group One Golden Rose a month later.
“He looked under a bit of pressure at the top of the straight but when he’s challenged he knows exactly what to do,” said Bott after the $2.40 favourite surged to the line.
“He’s such a naturally talented horse. There’s a lot of raw ability there at the moment and he’s still working out what it’s all about.”
Jockey Tommy Berry, a stand-in for the suspended Brenton Avdulla, agreed after an energy-sapping ride.
“He felt like he was going half-paced the whole way around. I had to keep his mind on the job,” he said.
“It’s hard to say how good he is because he just does what he has to. He pulled up like he hadn’t gone around. That’s a good sign.”