The premiership-winning trainer has made no secret of his incredibly high opinion of Kia Ora Koutou, and was ecstatic as the three-year-old crossed the line for a dominant victory over the older horses in the Crown Perth Opening Day October 17 Handicap (2200m) at Belmont on Saturday.
For Durrant the win answered the crucial question of Kia Ora Koutou's ability to stay, confirming after the race the rangy son of Blackfriars would now be sent east for a tilt at the 2015 Group I Victoria Derby (2500m).
"I haven't screwed him down even slightly. He is still quite round and a little bit podgy and very babyish,” Durrant said.
Kia Ora Koutou had not tried a staying trip before Saturday and overcame a sluggish early tempo to win going away on the line, prompting his Victoria Derby quote to be slashed to $15.
"This will tuck him up even more and get him closer to the mark but the promising thing is he is still building in his prep,” Durrant said. "I know what this horse is capable of and we haven't seen even a fraction of it just yet.”
Kia Ora Koutou is likely to kick off its eastern-states campaign in the Geelong Classic (2200m) on October 21, an ideal lead-in to the Victoria Derby 10 days later.
WA-trained geldings are no strangers to Victoria Derby success, with Plastered profiling similarly before winning the three-year-old classic in 2004.
The $1.5 million AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) will be run at Flemington on October 31.