An impressive in in Rosehill’s Listed $140,000 The Rosebud (1100m) from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt Dawn Passage has the talented youngster on the right track for a 2019 Golden Rose bid this spring.

Dawn Passage looks a genuine 2019 Golden Rose horse after his The Rosebud win first-up. Photo: Steve Hart.

Having his first run as a three-year-old, the son of Dawn Approach celebrated his second victory at career start number three with an impressive late win in The Rosebud on Missile Stakes Day.

Last prep Dawn Passage won his debut at Randwick over 1000m by 3.3 lengths before his close third behind subsequent Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) winner Castelvecchio in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1200m).

After two winning Sydney trials, Dawn Passage resumed in The Rosebud donning blinkers for the first time.

Tim Clark was aboard the bay who drew out in gate eight of nine and, as has become his pattern on race day, settled towards the rear of the field.

Dawn Passage was switched off second last as Cardiff led the field around setting a hectic pace that worked in favour of the backmarkers who made their charge in the closing stages.

Making up all the ground from the back, Dawn Passage ($4) got up for a spectacular win defeating the Bjorn Baker-trained Sweet Embrace Stakes placed filly Let It Pour ($21).

“Really good performance,” the winning hoop Clark said after the race.

“From the draw I was a bit hamstrung on how I was going to ride him and would have loved to have been a pair closer and I really loved how he let down and savaged the line.

“I hadn’t felt that top quality (in him) but after today he definitely goes up a rung.

“He’s obviously a really talented colt.”

The $3.50 favourite Lucicello was also strong late, the Chris Waller-trained filly improving from dead last to run third and round out the trifecta.

“Massive rise in class and her performance shows she’s up to it,” Lucicello’s jockey Tommy Berry said.

“The winner just sprinted quicker than us on the day.”

Co-trainer Waterhouse was full of her typical post-win praise for Dawn Passage who she has pegged as a genuine winning hope in the Group 1 $1 million Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) back at the track on September 28.

“He’s an outstanding colt to do what he did today and have to make up the lengths he did,” she said.

“I thought it was an outstanding effort…you’ll see improvement as he gets over further.

“You’ll be seeing plenty of him.

“I think it’s exactly the right stepping stone for the Golden Rose.”

Current pre-field Golden Rose odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au are led by the Champagne Stakes winner Castelvecchio ($10).

Dawn Passage meanwhile pays $13, firming in from $15, to take out Sydney’s first seven-figure spring race.

The next official lead-up race into the Golden Rose is the Group 2 $200,000 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill on September 14.