Jockey Stathi Katsidis labelled Shoot Out a potential champion after he claimed his second Group One victory in the AJC Australian Derby at Randwick.His win was also a triumph for trainer John Wallace who elected to push on to the Derby (2400m) and not bring Shoot Out back in distance to the Doncaster Mile (1600m) despite his shock defeat as favourite in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) last start.The Queensland-based Katsidis came to Sydney primarily to partner Military Rose and was a dejected figu
Jockey Stathi Katsidis labelled Shoot Out a potential champion after he claimed his second Group One victory in the AJC Australian Derby at Randwick.
His win was also a triumph for trainer John Wallace who elected to push on to the Derby (2400m) and not bring Shoot Out back in distance to the Doncaster Mile (1600m) despite his shock defeat as favourite in the Rosehill Guineas (2000m) last start.
The Queensland-based Katsidis came to Sydney primarily to partner Military Rose and was a dejected figure just seven days ago when she was unplaced as favourite in the Golden Slipper.
Katsidis, who has had a turbulent career, readily admitted Shoot Out was his second-string carnival ride but the three-year-old turned out to be his meal ticket, winning the Group One Randwick Guineas and Saturday's Derby.
"He could be a champion," Katsidis said.
"I know it's a word that's thrown around a bit but he's got the breeding, he's won over 2400 metres now and he could even run two miles (3200m) down the track.
"(Military Rose) was a bit of a let-down, she just raced like a tired horse.
"I always thought this horse was the back-up but it turns out he is the main one."
An emotional Wallace trained his first winner 46 years ago and before this season his last Group One victory was with Mother Of Pearl in the 1982 Queensland Oaks.
He rated Shoot Out's Classic win as the highlight of his career and hoped the three-year-old could develop into a Cups horse next spring.
"Maybe the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, who knows?" Wallace said.
"It's a big thrill, some great champions have won this race and some good trainers. I feel pretty humbled.
"Stathi kept telling me to take the pacifiers off him and I was bit stubborn but I finally listened."
Katsidis allowed Shoot Out ($4.80) to find his feet early but said "he pulled too hard to be confident" in the run.
However, the $15,000 yearling purchase conserved enough energy to run down the Gai Waterhouse-trained Descarado ($7.50) and score by 1-1/4 lengths with Victoria Derby winner Monaco Consul ($12) showing a return to form for third another neck away.
"We are as delighted as if we had won it, it's just as good," Waterhouse said.
"We bought him as a Melbourne Cup horse and that's what he's being set for."
Monaco Consul's trainer Mike Moroney said he would be set for the Queensland Derby.
"He wanted to lay out coming down the straight but he's a lot better back in Australia than he was in New Zealand," Moroney said.
"The Queensland Derby is the aim. He's only had four runs and we've been purposefully spacing them out."
Shoot Out's win was also a boon for Coolmore Stud which recently secured his sire High Chaparral to stand at its NSW Hunter Valley base from next spring.
They have yet to set a service fee for the shuttle stallion who had served two seasons in New Zealand.
High Chaparral captured the Derby trifecta, also being the sire of Descarado and Monaco Consul.