Victoria Derby no mean feat for the Perth boys as Kia Ora Koutou gets his shot at greatness

ADAM Durrant figures the Victoria Derby is one of the easier Group 1 races for a horse to tackle and therefore sees no reason why Kia Ora Koutou can’t win.

GUN Perth trainer Adam Durrant figures the Victoria Derby is one of the easier Group 1 races for a horse to tackle and therefore sees no reason why the unbeaten Kia Ora Koutou can’t win on Saturday.

The son of 1999 Derby winner Blackfriars has firmed this week, looming as the main danger to hot favourite Tarzino.

After a convincing last-start win over 2200m, he’s being compared to fellow WA raider Plastered, who wore down Cox Plate winner Savabeel to win the 2004 Derby.

“Their form is basically identical coming over, the only difference is my bloke is unbeaten. Plastered was beaten three times early in his career,” Durrant said.

“If you go back over the years, (the Derby distance) is an unknown for most of the three-year-olds. You’re not running into a Caulfield Cup or Cox Plate field, so I’ve always got it in the back of my mind to target that race.

“I go there very confident. I didn’t come all this way for nothing. I’m a bad loser and if I didn’t think I could win, there’s a $500,000 race in Perth in a few weeks I could have opted for.

Kia Ora Koutou with trainer Adam Durrant and jockey Joe Azzopardi. Picture: Jay Town

“You can never be too confident or cocky, but you have to have confidence in your horse and I certainly have that.

“He’s a horse I expect to go onto better things, regardless of the result we get on Saturday. Hopefully we can get away with it Saturday and kick it off.”

Durrant, a multiple premiership winner in recent seasons, used to work for Plastered’s trainer Lindsay Smith, who has given Kia Ora Koutou a big vote of confidence.

“We’re still good friends and he’s pretty confident. He puts him in a category that gives him a really good chance. He’s also had horses like Old Comrade, so he knows how to line them up,” Durrant said.

Durrant’s has opted to go into the race 28 days between runs, using a 1450m trial as his final lead-up instead.

“His fitness isn’t an issue. He’s rock hard fit. It’s just a matter of not going to the well too many times before we get to the Derby and that’s why I opted not to run and not run (in Victoria) before the Derby,” he said.

“It was an encouraging sign the way he hit the line. If anything, as the prep has gone on and he’s learning his trade, he’s actually becoming sharper when you first ask him for an effort. He’s quickening really nicely, the penny is starting to drop with him.”

Kia Ora Koutou, ridden by Joseph Azzopardi, salutes at Belmont.

Originally published as Victoria Derby no mean feat for the Perth boys as Kia Ora Koutou gets his shot at greatness