The three-year-old gelding Vega One has blossomed since joining the stables of Tony Gollan and his trainer has Group 1 ambitions for the son of Lope de Vega (IRE) after a dominant performance in Saturday's Listed Queensland Day Stakes (1350m) at Doomben.
He needed to get a vet clearance behind the barriers after playing up in the stalls, a habit that drew the ire of stewards when he was trained in Sydney.
Blake Shinn gave Vega One a peach of a ride and he had a handful of horse three hundred metres out.
When he let the rein out an inch, Vega One exploded away to put three and a quarter lengths from the favourite Multaja (Medaglia D'Oro) with a further two and a quarter lengths back to Mishani Hustler (Exceedingly Good) in third.
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Golan believes Vega One has Group 1 ability but has a few quirks to iron out.
"He will have to get over his habit of getting his back leg up on the stalls. It is a trait he has had when I got him. They know he is going to do it," Gollan told AAP.
"I have been saying all along he is a Group horse. He is only lightly raced and would need to win an exempt race like the Fred Best Classic to make the Stradbroke field," Gollan said.
"But there also the Queensland Guineas which would suit."
It took Vega One nine starts to break his maiden but when he did he made a lot of people sit up and take notice when spreadeagling a field over 1100 metres at Doomben by upwards of nine lengths.
He then stepped up to stakes company in the Listed Mick Dittman Plate at Doomben on April 20 when a solid second to Plague Stone.
A half-brother to the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes winner One More Honey (Onemorenomore), Vega One (pictured as a yearling ) was a $75,000 purchase by his former trainer John Thompson out of the Stockwell Thoroughbreds draft (on behalf of breeder Emirates Park), at the 2017 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is the fourth foal of the imported Distorted Humor mare One Funny Honey (USA) who is a daughter of the 2011 Group III VRC The Vanity winner Lan Kwai Fong (Bluebird).
One Funny Honey has an unraced 2yo Dream Ahead (USA) filly named Vapid and a weanling colt by Snitzel. She was covered by Fastnet Rock last spring.
Vega One becomes the 54th stakes-winner for the former Patinack Farm shuttler, Lope De Vega (IRE).
