Jason Collett says Golden Rose, Caulfield Guineas, Victoria Derby and Cox Plate are options for King Colorado
Jason Collett isn’t a jockey known to go over the top when talking about horses so it could pay to take note of his thoughts on recent Group 1 winner King Colorado.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained colt became the first son of star UK stallion Kingsman (GB) to win a Southern Hemisphere Group 1 last week when romping to victory in the 1600m JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm.
The bay colt make a quick progression through the grades only winning his maiden 18 days prior to his career defining win in Queensland.
“He’s still so raw and to be able to do what he did at just his third start, knowing how much improvement he’s made each time, that’s what makes him so exciting,” Collett said.
“Two-year-olds can come from nowhere, as can early season three-year-olds but this guy is still open to so much more improvement.
“There’s X-factor about him. There’s so much upside to him.
“He’s far from the finished product.
“This is a horse that’s in the right camp and the world’s his oyster.
“He’s definitely one of the most exciting colts I’ve had anything to do with.”
Collett said the performance of King Colorado in the JJ Atkins somewhat caught him by surprise, providing him with “a great feeling and one you don’t get very often”.
“I went out there on a 40 to one hope so my thinking is to give the horse the best possible ride so he can run on,” Collett said.
“It all went to plan and we hadn’t done any work for the first 1000 metres.
“I was back behind a wall of horses coming to the turn and then I asked him to improve into a run and in the blink of an eye you are in front in a Group 1 300 metres from home.
“And from there he just got stronger and stronger.
“When everything started moving, I was still sitting and I moved my hands on him to see if I had anything and he was straight up underneath me and I thought ‘all right punters were on here’.
“It’s a great feeling when you get that feeling in a Group 1.”
Looking to the future, Collett said it’s hard to know where the ceiling is for King Colorado.
“There’s so many options for a horse like this,” he said.
“Golden Rose, Caulfield Guineas, Victoria Derby and maybe even a Cox Plate.
“I’m sure everything is going to be on the table for him.”
