Cambridge three-year-old Abaddon will winter in Queensland before he returns to New Zealand to fulfil his potential.

The son of Stravinsky has made an encouraging start to his career for trainer Shaune Ritchie, who has no doubt he will be a future Group One contender.

“He’s a top-class horse and when he comes home I’m sure he can rip through the grades and be very competitive in the late spring and summer,” he said.

Abaddon gave an early indication of his raw talent when he ran second at the Cambridge trials before he went to Australia with other members of Ritchie’s Queensland winter carnival team.

He won on debut and picked up two minor placings before he was successful again at the Gold Coast last weekend in the hands of veteran New Zealand jockey Grant Cooksley.

“He’s still got a lot to learn and while his wins may not have looked all that impressive, he’s still got no idea what’s going on,” Ritchie said.

“He gets to the front and then switches off and waits for the others to come.

“Greenness is catching up with him so we’re going to spell him in Brisbane. The main reason we brought him over here was to avoid the wet tracks at home.

“He’s developed with each of his runs here and he’s going to be a very exciting horse. He’s got a pedigree and he’ll be electric when we put the blinkers on him.”

A $380,000 Karaka yearling purchase, Abaddon is out of the Zabeel mare Clarissa and is a half-brother to the Listed Soliloquy Stakes winner Holy Moly.