Danny O'Brien has Australian Guineas aspirations for Keano who made up for a most unlucky defeat at Caulfield last start with a comfortable win at Flemington.The beautifully bred Pins colt, who cost $450,000 as a yearling, is part-owned by O'Brien and his breeder Gary Chittick of Waikato Stud.His dam O'Really, by Centaine, is a half-sister to O'Reilly, while his grand-dam is Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond winner Courtza."He and El Segundo's brother are the dearest Pins yearlings sold," O'Brien

Danny O'Brien has Australian Guineas aspirations for Keano who made up for a most unlucky defeat at Caulfield last start with a comfortable win at Flemington.

The beautifully bred Pins colt, who cost $450,000 as a yearling, is part-owned by O'Brien and his breeder Gary Chittick of Waikato Stud.

His dam O'Really, by Centaine, is a half-sister to O'Reilly, while his grand-dam is Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond winner Courtza.

"He and El Segundo's brother are the dearest Pins yearlings sold," O'Brien said.

It appears that O'Brien has got the right one though as El Catino didn't show much when running ninth in a Benalla maiden in October.

Keano, who won over 1200m at a Moonee Valley his second start in November, had no luck at all when sixth as favourite to Brunello over 1400m at Caulfield on December 6, but atoned on Saturday.

With Damien Oliver back on board, Keano ($1.80 fav) settled ninth of the 11th runners in the Shaftesbury Avenue Hcp (1400m), but came into the race quickly and went on for a comfortable 1-1/4 length win over Cascabel ($12) with topweight Brunello ($11) 1-3/4 lengths away third.

O'Brien has a huge opinion of the colt and believes both Keano and stablemate Iamzeus, a son of O'Reilly, can really make their mark next autumn.

Iamzeus was an unlucky runner-up to subsequent Carbine Club Stakes winner Dr Doute's, beaten a short head, over 1430m at Flemington on September 28 at his only start to date.

O'Brien wanted to run Iamzeus in the Caulfield Guineas but he was balloted out of the Group One event.

Oliver, who is unbeaten on Keano in two rides, says there is still plenty of improvement in the colt.

"He's still learning and is a nice type," he said.

"I ended up doing a bit of work in the run so I didn't want to go too early.

"He's got plenty of upside for sure."