Hot favourite Mongolian Falcon duly obliged in the $20,000 Harcourt Just Rental over 1000m on Saturday at Ruakaka, but co-trainer Chris Gibbs said the penny had not dropped yet.
Connections have held a high opinion of the colt by Fastnet Rock and was punters sent him out the shortest priced favourite of the day ($1.40).
With Leith Innes aboard, the pair raced on the speed and took the lead from pacemaker Matuzalem half-way down the straight, asserting his superiority over the last 100 metres winning by one and half lengths to the brave pacemaker, with three-quarters of length to Earleygain in third place. The winning time was 59.55secs.
Mongolian Falcon was a trial winner before he finished third on debut last season and second-up he beat subsequent Group Two Matamata Breeders' Stakes winner Gold Rush.
The son of Fastnet Rock then ran a close second in the Listed Reid & Harrison Slipper at Matamata before he was put aside after he was unplaced in the Group One Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie behind Heroic Valour.
With blinkers on the first time the colt raced greenly but gave a glimpse of the huge potential he has with the major three-year-old classics coming up this season.
"We put the blinkers on for the first time. He's a pretty smart colt," Gibbs said.
"He'll definitely be nominated for the VRC Derby and if we take that path, he won't be hanging around in New Zealand for too long," Gibbs added.
Inner Mongolia Rider Horse Industry purchased the colt for A$150,000 at the Inglis Yearling Easter Sale from the Coolmore draft. Mongolian Falcon is out of the Group performed Galileo mare Amazing Beauty.
Mongolian Falcon five starts for two wins and two placing and has earned just under $40,000.
