Siege of Quebec (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a A$1.2m Inglis Easter yearling, prevailed in a thriller, to take his record to two-for-two in a 1400-metre handicap at Rosehill Saturday (Video), reported Racenet.com. The full-brother to Australian Group 3 winner and MG1SP Bull Point (Aus) flashed good speed from the stalls, but seemed in deep water on the far turn, as the Chris Waller-trained Calculated (Aus) (So You Think {NZ}) appeared poised to pounce. Siege of Quebec wasn't finished yet though and hit another gear to win by a half-length.
“He looked under a bit of pressure at the top of the straight, but that's just the colt, he's certainly got plenty of fighting qualities,” remarked co-trainer Adrian Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse. “He's such a naturally talented horse, but there's a lot of raw ability there at the moment. He's still working out what it's all about, still learning when to quicken, when to let down, but when he's challenged he knows exactly what to do and importantly at the moment he knows where the line is. He's bred to be anything. Once he puts it all together and learns, he'll be a serious horse.”
A first out winner over 1250 metres at Newcastle on June 27, Siege of Quebec, who races for an ownership group headed by Coolmore, will now be given some time off, with an eye toward the G1 Golden Rose at Rosehill on Sept. 9.
Added Bott, “The immediate plan is that we will be heading towards the Golden Rose. We have a plan mapped out for him, probably going through the [G3] Ming Dynasty [Quality H. Aug. 26] leading in.”
“He's a smart colt,” said Berry. “I'm very thankful of Adrian and Gai and the Coolmore boys for giving me the ride. I've had a lot of luck with them in the past with some very good horses including the stallion Vancouver (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), so it would be nice if this boy could do the same.”
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