Red Road will be aimed for the Macro Meats Golden Easter Egg series after he took out the Group 2 Eco Friendly Building Systems Richmond Derby on Saturday night.
The Mark Gatt-trained chaser justified his favouritism for the $40,000-to-the-winner final, jumping straight to the front and leading all the way to hold out a gallant Evil Punk by 3/4 of a length in 30.34.
The win was Red Road's 11th from 15 starts and first at Group level.
Gatt was extremely impressed with the win.
"When a dog runs a time like Red Road just did and leads, it's very hard for any other dog to get around them," he said.
"If the situation had been reversed and Evil Punk had led, it probably would have been a completely different result,
"Red Road just had the better box and begun a little better and that was probably the difference in the end."
Gatt said he has always had a high opinion of Red Road and believes the son of Collision will measure up well in the Golden Easter Egg series.
"Red Road really likes Wentworth Park, so hopefully his good form continues and you will see us in the (Golden) Easter Egg," Gatt said.
"Right from the start I knew he was a group dog. I earmarked him as a good dog from the start but they still have to go on and prove it, which he has now done."
Red Road was one of four runners in the Richmond Derby for Gatt, with Ritza Raider the best of his other runners, finishing in fourth.
Boyce Road had a troubled run but battled well to finish fifth, while Ritza Ryder finished sixth.
For Evil Punk, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in a derby this year. The James Coyle-trained chaser finished second to Zipping Brock in the National Derby at Unibet Gardens in February.
