Every winner aiming for higher honours must come through the grades and Saturday's Facebook.com/Sydneycarnival Handicap at Warwick Farm was another step for the well-bred three-year-old Vadashan.
The Redoute's Choice colt, trained by Paul Messara and ridden by Christian Reith, has more than the usual expectations as he is out of the Aga Khan's mare Vadsalina, by Sagacity.
His champion sire will stand for the first time overseas this year at the Aga Khan's Haras de Bonneval where he is due to cover a limited book of 100 top class mares.
The Aga Khan Studs will send a selection of 15 broodmares, headed by the unbeaten Arc winner Zarkava to Redoute's Choice. She will be joined by last year's Group 1 winners Shareta and Sagawara.
Considerable weight of expectation then for a young colt with similar bloodlines, but Vadashan performed with aplomb in just his second race start aided by a very sensible ride by Reith.
“He is a very good horse this bloke,” said Scone based Messara.
“He was injured in a trial in the spring so I had to put him out, but I always had him pencilled in as my Derby horse. He is beautifully bred and he will not have any trouble getting a trip.
“He almost does not know what to do and when he gets away from them he waits for them.
"As long as he can keep learning how to race, and that was the main thing today as I said to Christian to make sure that his last furlong was his best to learn how to hit the line.
“If we have had that prep in the spring we would be really going on with it now, but he is a really nice horse."
Reith settled Vadashan in eighth and allowed the front runners to take the field forward with That's A Good Idea and Glyn Schofield leading followed by Jordan and Nathan Berry.
As the field went wide around the final turn Reith waited patiently and when the rest went away from the rails he was presented with a wide open passage for Vadashan.
That's A Good Idea was driven out by Schofield passing the 300m, but Vadashan (55kg) was quickly though on the inside and into the lead.
The colt was sent on a path to the line and while Unimpeachable and Josh Parr chased hard the closest they got was a half-length at the line and the winner was not stopping.
General Groove and Jay Ford were third, the margin 1 1/2L.
“All about today was getting him settled and switched off as I want him to run the Derby trip and he did that perfectly today,” said Reith.
