Twice denied, Count de Rupee justified his sale price and backing with an impressive breakthrough win at Kembla Grange on Saturday for Robert and Luke Price.
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The three-year-old gelding had been nosed out on debut over 1000m, before kicking clear, only to be run down by Lord Olympus when laying in over the ultra-sprint 900m distance at Newcastle.
The Mark Newnham-trained Lord Olympus had already delivered at Kembla Grange in a Class 1 over 1000m, and so the form stood up, when Count de Rupee made no mistake, finishing over the top of the John O'Shea debutant Scream and Shout ($17) after firming from $20 when markets opened to $6 when the race jumped.
Robert Price said he has plenty of upside still to come, after being bought for $145,000 at the Magic Millions sales on the Gold Coast last year.
"He's very immature, there's not much of him, he's a bit like a skinned rabbit," Price told Sky Racing afterwards.
"But he's got good natural ability and that's what you need, he's probably one of the more expensive horses we've bought.
"Not dear to the big stables, but for us it was a bit of money and it looks like he's going to make the grade.
"He was a lot more tractable to today, personally I thought he had every chance at Newcastle even though we were carted deep.
"He's a nice horse and we hope he can progress, he's off to the paddock today."
Meanwhile, the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable was left disappointed by Farnan's catch-me-if-you-can flop in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill, but they gained plenty of encouragement after even money favourite Well Known saluted in a 1400m Maiden at Kembla Grange on Saturday.