Bruce Wallace was one gallop away from spelling yesterday's $70,000 New Zealand Herald Eclipse Stakes winner Grand Dancer.
"He was our fastest 2-year-old at home for most of this preparation, but lately he's been coming off his speed and starting to grind a fraction," said Wallace.
That's becauseGrand Dancer is a tall, rangy type who looks as though he will be much better with time.
"He looks like he should be going into the Derby in March."
Grand Dancer has magnificent looks, attractive enough to make Wallace part with $280,000 at the Karaka yearling sales.
"I thought he was in the top five best-looking colts in the sale."
Grand Dancer, by first season stallion No Excuse Needed, is owned in Hong Kong by Peter Chu, who races under the Able International banner with a number of friends.
New Year's Day was appropriate, a decade ago Able Master won the Auckland Cup for Wallace and Able International, but for a different principal.
Grand Dancer will almost certainly end up racing in Hong Kong for his owners, but Wallace does not know when.
"I'd like to think this win means they will let me take him through to the Derby in a year's time.
"But he will definitely be in the Sires Produce series in the autumn. To race better than his work pattern is the sign of a good horse."
Grand Dancer was well ridden by Rogan Norvall, who had the colt just behind to attack a fair way out and allow him to grind his way to the line, rather than expect him to sprint quickly late.
Debut runner Seppelt was a close second just ahead of Roussay, who produced a truly remarkable performance to flash into third.
Roussay, on debut, was last and disorganised out towards the middle of the track on the home bend.
"I thought I was going to tail off last on the home bend," said a staggered Opie Bosson. "He's normally laid back in his work, but today he was laying away from the other horses - he didn't know where he was most of the way."
Few, if any, horses have come down the Ellerslie home straight quicker than Roussay did yesterday.
"Even when he was flying home, he didn't know what he was doing."
The Fusaichi Pegasus-Palia colt clearly has a massive future.
