Cross of Gold, the highly admired sale topper from last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, scored an impressive debut win at Geelong on Tuesday.

Prepared by Hall of Fame horseman David Hayes, Cross of Gold was purchased by BC3’s Bill Vlahos and Lindsay Park bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington for $925,000 from the Strawberry Hill Stud draft.

Today at his racetrack debut he produced a powerful finishing burst over the concluding stages to reel in the leaders and race clear for a three quarter length success.

The effort was first class considering he came from off the speed in the 1000 metre dash against a quality field that included five proven winners.

“He’s not a 1000 metre horse,” David Hayes’ stable foreman Bruno Rouge-Serret said.

“I just said to Bill (Vlahos) that they ran the last three (furlongs) in 34, so he probably broke 32 – so it’s a very good effort.”

“David has got some nice races picked out for him. He’ll probably head to the McNeil in a couple of weeks time – that’s the sort of horse we thought he could be.”

“He will improve when he’s out to a mile and when the penny drops. This is a small type track and that probably didn’t suit him – but he won and that’s the main thing.”

Group One winning jockey Steven Arnold said there were better wins in store for cross in Gold.

“The only worry really was the short course. It was a good effort because they were older horses and some had won.”

“He never travelled early. I had to give him a couple of cracks. But he finished off well.”

“I knew he would be good late – but I didn’t know whether he could pull back the break they had on him.”

“He’s a nice horse and he’s definitely going to be more of a mile horse and he will come on from that.”

“He was a bit distracted and he’s still learning what it’s all about so he’s done a big effort to win at his first start,” Arnold summed up.

Cross of Gold, by leading Arrowfield Stud based sire Redoute’s Choice, is a half brother to the former outstanding Magic Millions graduate Hasna.

Hasna was crowned the Champion Two-Year-Old of Australia in 2003 after winning six juvenile races including the AJC Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes double. She was also third in the Golden Slipper.