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By Ray Hickson

Kibou has goals over more ground than Saturday’s Listed $160,000 Smithfield RSL Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill but co-trainer Adrian Bott says the race is an important test for the three-year-old.

An impressive winner of both starts since being gelded, Bott has races like the $1m Golden Rose over 1400m next month and the $2m Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m in mind if Kibou continues to progress.

“I probably feel he’ll be most effective over a bit further but he is sharp enough to be right with them first-up,’’ Bott said.

“We’d like to see he is competitive at that grade, that he is on track to be targeted towards the Golden Rose.

“I don’t think we have seen the best of him yet.”

Bott and co-trainer Gai Waterhouse thought enough of Kibou to send him around in the Breeders’ Plate on debut but he was quite wayward there and ran off the track, leading to the decision to geld him.

He proved much more tractable in his early winter campaign with dominant on-pace wins at Warwick Farm over 1100m and Rosehill over 1400m.

And he was similarly controlled when warming up for the Rosebud, where he was $2.90 TAB favourite on Thursday and $26 in Golden Rose betting, with a sharp trial win almost two weeks ago.

“He’s just had a little freshen up since that win over 1400m and has come back mentally very well,’’ Bott said.

Kibou wins a trial at Randwick on August 2

“He’s matured up a lot from the last couple of times we’ve seen him. He’s had a nice sharp hitout in a 740m trial to get him back up to the mark and I feel he’s in good shape.

“There are a few fast horses in there but he has some good tactical speed himself and he’s drawn well so he will put himself right in the race.”

Middle distances will likely be in the future of fellow three-year-olds Stonecoat and Major Beel who tackle the Dooleys Handicap (1300m).

Bott said Stonecoast has come through a tough run on a heavy 10 at Randwick, chasing home True Crime, three weeks ago and should appreciate getting away from the really testing tracks.

“I wasn’t sure how that race would affect him at all but he seems really good,’’ he said.

“I’d like to see him under better conditions but he did a good job on the day. He will be a nice middle distance horse for us in time.”

That’s not to say Stonecoat, who will press forward from the outside gate, won’t be competitive with just a 100m lift on his second-up placing.

Major Beel showed a glimpse of his potential with a dominant final 100m of his maiden win at Wyong over the 1300m at his second race start.

“He’s another who should be well placed once he gets up in trip,’’ Bott said.

“How far we can take him through this prep we will see how he continues to develop but he has impressed us.

“His first start at Goulburn was very good and it was good to see him show improvement second up, he was impressive how he rounded them up.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting