Rip Van Winkle (IRE) gelding Awake in Granzing made light of the wet and
wintery conditions to charge home from last to win the 1200 metre open juvenile
event by more than a length with Ben Melham in the saddle."He made a long sustained run and had them covered a long way out," O'Brien said.
"He's got the pedigree to run a mile and a quarter or a mile and a half, so we'll look to give him another run in three or four weeks and see where he's at.
"You'd like to think there was a chance he could be around for the Derby (Victoria), but there are other Derbies too.
"All options are open to him and today he has certainly gotten a big tick."
A $100,000 NZB Premier purchase for his trainer from the Windsor Park Stud draft, Awake in Granzing is a half-brother to Group II winner Centennial Park and Group III winner Ballack.
He comes from a prolific Black Type family being the the ninth winner from Last Tycoon (IRE) mare Trephina, a half-sister to Champion South African sprinter and multiple Group I winner Laisserfaire as well as stakes-winners A Time for Julia, Time Thief, Foreplay and Personify.
A Group I winning son of champion sire Galileo, Rip Van Winkle stands at Windsor Park this spring at a fee of $12,500 and his oldest progeny are about to turn four.
