Zabeel colt for VRC derby

Our Heir Apparent will this month attempt to bridge the gap between Taupo and Flemington.

The Zabeel colt earned a trip to Melbourne and a crack at the A$1.5 million Victoria Derby (2500m) with his runaway maiden win at Taupo on Wednesday.

The Matamata galloper, who was having just his second start, won a maiden 1800m easing down, by four lengths.

He is scheduled to start next in the A$100,000 Geelong Classic (2200m) on October 21, with the Group I VRC Derby at Flemington 10 days later.

The $900,000 yearling buy gives Matamata stables a second derby contender, following Monaco Consul, who went from a rating 70 1600 at Ruakaka to win last weekend's Spring Champion Stakes in Sydney.

Monaco Consul is now second favourite for the VRC Derby, with TAB Sportsbet, and Our Heir Apparent has also had his derby quote slashed.

Our Heir Apparent was at $101 on Wednesday morning but the Australian bookmakers did not miss his win and he is now at $26.

Trainer Mark Walker was touting Our Heir Apparent as a potential derby candidate even before the horse made his debut, at Te Rapa last month.

He started a $3.60 favourite in a 1400m maiden at Te Rapa but never recovered from a check at the 500m. He was backed down to $1.90 at Taupo, when suited by the step up in distance, and was always on the pace and travelling well.

"We have always really liked him," Walker said yesterday. "The Geelong race is not the only option before the Derby, but the spacing suits if he goes there."

Our Heir Apparent is bred on a Zabeel-Encosta De Lago cross and his dam, La Quinta Gold, is a winning sister to two Australian group winners and distantly related to Makybe Diva.

Walker has won five races in the last two days, with four wins at the Taupo meeting followed by two-year-old King's Rose making a winning debut at Otaki yesterday.

King's Rose, an Redoute's Choice filly from a winning Nureyev mare, is raced by Hong Kong owner Gene Tsoi and won with ease.

King's Rose will now have a break before being aimed at the likes of the Wakefield Stakes at Trentham in the autumn.

She is Walker's third two-year-old winner already this term, following Big River and Encosta Diablo.

Big River is being prepared for the $45,000 Wellesley Stakes (1000m) at Trentham at Labour weekend while Encosta Diablo will be aimed at the Welcome Stakes at Riccarton.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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