Gold Seventy Seven delivers commanding performance at first dig over 1400m for Kris Lees

AMONG the wealth of talent in the Kris Lees stable at the moment — including Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist — is a rising star and his name is Gold Seventy Seven.

Sydney Racing

AMONG the wealth of talent in the Kris Lees stable at the moment — including Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist — is a rising star and his name is Gold Seventy Seven.

Lees wanted to find out how good the unbeaten colt was at Rosehill on Saturday and the flashy chestnut delivered with a dazzling performance after racing wide throughout.

And it was a performance that left in-form jockey Hugh Bowman wondering just how far high he can climb.

‘’Coming to the turn he was just waiting for my command and I balanced him up and he gave a good kick,’’ Bowman said.

‘’I’m sure if I had something a couple of lengths ahead in front to chase down he would have had the energy to do it. He is an exciting horse.’’

Punters weren’t afraid to take the short price on offer and sent Gold Seventy Seven out a red-hot $1.50 chance at his first try at 1400m.

Hugh Bowman and Gold Seventy Seven combine to make easy work of their Rosehill Gardens assignment. Picture: Getty Images

They might have had a few worries as Bowman was forced to cover extra ground outside the leaders but he powered away to beat Better Not Blue ($20) by 1-1/4 lengths with the same margin to Conarchie ($61) in third.

The disappointments of the race were Godolphin’s Grunderzeit, who led before weakening to run sixth while second favourite Tree Of Jesse didn’t make an impact in fifth.

‘’I didn’t want to be there, I didn’t want to be as positive as I was at Canterbury because he raced a bit keenly, but I was on a class animal and he got the job done,’’ Bowman said.

‘’It makes me wonder where he could end up.

‘’He did all the work, he was three deep but travelled comfortably. I had the confidence in him and he didn’t let me down.’’

Lees already has Protectionist and Caulfield Cup placegetter Lucia Valentina aiming up at feature races during The Championships and Gold Seventy Seven is now likely to join them.

Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist with strapper Bob Bowe at Kris Lees’ Newcastle stables. Picture Waide Maguire

The trainer has pinpointed the Group 2 Arrowfield Sprint (1200m), formerly the Royal Sovereign Stakes, at Randwick on April 11 as a likely target race.

“He hasn’t won by a big space but he was three deep with no cover and plenty of good horses can get beaten like that,’’ Lees said.

“He’ll have a little break now and we will see him at the back end of the autumn.

‘’He still has a bit to learn and he will take a lot of benefit out of it, his first go at 1400m on a hot day.’’

Lees admitted to some nerves when Bowman was trapped wide on Gold Seventy Seven but there’s no better way to find out a horse’s potential than by asking him to overcome the odds.

Ominously, he said the colt will be a much better horse when he comes back for his second preparation.

“It was either going to be sink or swim,’’ he said.

“It was a good effort, he nearly got in and one just kicked up underneath him which they are entitled to do.

‘’Hugh kept him balanced, which is the main thing with a young horse when they are wide like that, he didn’t get flustered but he always had them covered.’’