Vilana flies to redemption in rich The Hunter
Godolphin cap remarkable spring with another big-race success at Newcastle with son of Hallowed Crown
It was a case of what might have been when the outside barrier thwarted all hopes of Vilana (Hallowed Crown) soaring to victory in the Golden Eagle (1500m) a fortnight ago, but faced with a smoother run the son of Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) gained redemption as he proved too strong in winning the rich The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle yesterday.
Victory for Vilana in the $1 million contest concluded a stellar spring for Godolphin, who began the carnival with a Group 1 victory for Anamoe (Street Boss) in the Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) in August, and captured a further 20 stakes race wins during the following 11 weeks, as well as lucrative successes in the Golden Gift (1100m) with Barber (Exceed And Excel) and with Vilana in the Silver Eagle (1300m).
Partnered by Nash Rawiller, the lightly raced Vilana ran down last year’s Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) winner In The Congo (Snitzel) to show tenacity in winning by a neck.
Rawiller, who had deferred a ban picked up when riding on Champions Day at Flemington last weekend, was confident the entire could make amends for his last-start defeat.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in the horse from what he showed me in previous rides,” Rawiller said.
“Unless you watch the stewards’ replay you wouldn’t really know what he encountered in the Golden Eagle.
“Today he just used his natural speed to get across in a lovely spot, and I knew he’d relax once he got there.
“In the Congo is tough. It felt like we were going to beat it by a length, but he just kept coming with me. But he’s a lot of class, my bloke, he’s on the way up.”
Unraced as a two-year-old, Vilana made his debut in August last year, finishing second, before he strung together four consecutive victories, earning a first stakes success in the South Pacific Classic (Listed, 1400m).
After defeat in the Hawkesbury Guineas (Gr 3, 1400m), Vilana was campaigned in Brisbane, where he won the Fred Best Classic (Gr 3, 1400m) before an eighth-placed finish in the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m).
Afforded an extended break, he returned this preparation with a commanding display in the Silver Eagle last month, but failed to back up from barrier 20 in the $10 million Golden Eagle.
With yesterday’s victory, the four-year-old took his record to six wins from ten starts and $1.6 million in prize-money.
“You’re always confident when it’s going to be a tight finish that Nash is going to get the best out of them,” Godolphin representative Darren Beadman said.
“He’s [Vilana] been a model of consistency, the trip away to Brisbane just did him the world of good. He really matured, it made him stand up and take notice.
“The team have placed him to perfection this preparation and it was wonderful to see the way he knuckled down and fought off a very very tough competitor in In The Congo.
“Full credit to Nash, it’s been a remarkable carnival.”
Vilana is from his sire’s third crop when Hallowed Crown was standing at Darley, before the stallion’s move to Twin Hills Stud in Cootamundra in 2020.
He is one of six stakes winners for Hallowed Crown and the second Group winner after multiple elite-level scorer Colette. The stallion stood this breeding season at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).
Vilana is a half-brother to Godolphin’s two-time Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter Savatiano (Street Cry) as well as dual Listed winner Athiri (Lonhro).
A daughter of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), Vilana’s dam Retsina, herself stakes performed, has a two-year-old colt by Street Boss (Street Cry) named Assyrtiko, a yearling filly by Blue Point (Shamardal) and is again due to foal to the Darley shuttler this year.
Pierossa delivers Group 3 success in Triple Crown red
Pierossa (3 f ex Edwina George by Testa Rossa) took five starts to get off the mark when successful in a maiden at Gosford a little more than two weeks ago, but is now a Group 3 winner after the filly backed up to claim yesterday’s 3YO NJC Spring Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Newcastle.
Appreciating the step up in trip to a mile, Pierossa charged home with a wide run to win by a long neck ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Kazalark (Vadamos). Robusto (Churchill), the $4 favourite, was the same margin away in third.
Co-trainer Paul Snowden credited the work of the staff at home in turning around the fortunes of the filly, who was sent off a $19 chance to win yesterday’s Group 3.
The filly will now be spelled before returning in the late autumn and a likely Brisbane winter campaign.
“She’s come a long way after having a poor attitude as a young horse,” said Snowden, who trains in partnership with his father, Peter.
“She was always going to improve with maturity and the staff have done a good job with her. We ironed out a few things and the team deserves a lot of credit.
“I think she proved she’ll run further. I know it was a slog, but I always thought she would get over 2000 metres. So it was good to see her being the strongest late.”
Pierossa became the 32nd individual stakes winner for her Coolmore Stud sire Pierro (Lonhro), and is one of 20 by the stallion to have scored black–type wins over a distance of a mile or further.
Sam Clipperton, who has partnered the filly in all but one of her six starts, believes she will improve again for a further rise in trip.
“It was a tough win. I’ve had a lot of time for this filly for a fair while,” the winning rider said.
“She used to put on quite a show before the start, and she got me at Canterbury, her first ever start, and she got beaten a nose that day.
“Now it’s just about working with her and eliminating those habits, and I must say with racing she’s gotten a lot better.
“She’s a filly that you have to squeeze every little bit out of but she really knuckles down under hard riding.
“I think this filly is going to be an even more mature filly in the autumn, and particularly once she gets up to those 2000 metres and beyond distances.”
Pierossa was sold as a yearling by Tyreel Stud, with Chris and Michael Ward of Triple Crown Syndications paying $120,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
She is the fourth foal out of Testa Rossa (Perugino) mare Edwina Georgie and a half-sister to Listed winner Ploverset (Street Boss).
Edwina Georgie was sold in an Inglis Digital sale last year for $37,500 when purchased by Boom Racing.
Her two-year-old colt by Dundeel (High Chaparral) fetched $50,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale earlier this year when sold by Noorilim Park.
She has a yearling filly by Toronado (High Chaparral) and produced a filly by Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo).
Fire Lane wins out in Max Lees thriller
The Brad Widdup-trained Fire Lane (Hellbent) continued the strong start to the season of Hellbent’s (I Am Invincible) second crop of two-year-olds when the colt prevailed in the Max Lees Classic (900m) at Newcastle.
Making his debut in the 900-metre sprint, Fire Lane hit the front inside the final 100 metres and gamely held off the challenge of Godolphin’s Cylinder (Exceed And Excel), who stormed home from last in the 11-runner race to be denied by a nose.
Line Of Law (Russian Revolution) finished a length and a quarter from the winner in third.
“These sort of races, she’s still got to learn a lot and I’m sure she’ll develop a lot more,” Widdup said of Fire Lane.
“She’s got a good head on her shoulders and good natural ability.”
From five two-year-old starters this season, Hellbent has two winners and three stakes placegetters, including city winner and Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) third Divine Glory.
“[Hellbent] is a terrific young stallion, we were lucky to get a couple at the Magic Millions, she’s the first one I’ve raced,” Widdup added.
“I’ve got a nice bunch of two-year-olds this year, she’s put her hand up.”
Sent off a $13 chance, Fire Lane was ridden by Jay Ford, who thwarted James McDonald on the James Cummings-trained Cylinder, who was also making his debut.
“She’s had one trial, been very well schooled up. But she’s like she’s got an old head on her shoulders,” Ford said.
“She takes it all in her stride, she’s very push button. Has good speed which enables her to put her in a spot.
“I thought the second horse of Godolphin’s was going to monster us late, but she just showed her tenacity. She’s only going to improve and [owners] BK Racing have got a handy one.”
Fire Lane was a $330,000 buy for BK Racing and Breeding and Brad Widdup from the Yarraman Park draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the fourth winner from four to race out of the placed mare Heritage Lane (Charge Forward), herself a daughter of US stakes race winner Laurel Avenue (Avenue Of Flags).
Heritage Lane was purchased for $70,000 in foal to Hellbent by Phil and Lindy Ibbotson of Westbury Park in WA, who later in the day celebrated a third individual stakes winner for their resident stallion My Admiration (Encosta De Lago) when Admiration Express won the WA Champion Fillies Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Ascot.
Heritage Lane produced a filly by Hellbent in September this year.