Bianco Vilano notched up the uncommon Riverina major-race double by overcoming a quality lineup in the Listed $200,000 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) at Wagga Wagga on Friday.
Prepared by esteemed handler Ron Stubbs, Bianco Vilano joined just the fourth horse to achieve the Albury Cup–Wagga Wagga Gold Cup double.
Fawkner Park managed the accomplishment two years back, while the sole other achievers of the double were Abstraction (1989) and Dan Patch (1945).
The $12 chance Bianco Vilano, partnered by Jason Lyon who stepped in after Tyler Schiller was sidelined by injury, triumphed by a touch more than a length ahead of Villasaurus ($21), with previous year’s victor Flying Bandit ($12) finishing narrowly third.
Throughout his extended and accomplished career, Stubbs had captured the majority of prominent events in the Riverina area, yet a Wagga Wagga Gold Cup remained out of reach – up to this point.
“This is a huge thrill,” Stubbs told Sky Thoroughbred Central’s Graeme White.
“To be able to win both of them (Albury Cup, Wagga Wagga Gold Cup) is amazing. He has gone to another level.
“It was unfortunate Tyler could not be here today but I’m pleased for Jason. He does a lot of work for our stable, he is our stable jockey.”
Lyon, who gave a nod to Schiller after the race, noted that it “didn’t go to plan early” for Bianco Vilano.
“But when we came out on the corner, I was pretty confident,” Lyon said.
“We hit the front a bit early but he was just too good. He is very versatile as he’s won from 1175m and now twice at 2000m.”
Bianco Vilano’s Wagga Wagga Gold Cup triumph guarantees his entry into the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day, the first Tuesday in November.
At the major Wagga Wagga fixture, trainer John Sargent grabbed a feature-race brace of his own, highlighted by the $200,000 Inglis 2yo Challenge (1200m) courtesy of dominant debutant Global Goal.
A two-year-old filly by former English two-year-old sensation Pinatubo, Global Goal is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Tides, herself closely related to Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain and Shoals, and cost $250,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale last year.
Ridden by Dylan Gibbons, Global Goal appears well above par following a victory by just over a length over Gary Portelli’s Friendly Fire, who also performed creditably on debut.
Sargent also had the progressing three-year-old Cosmic Avenger take out the $80,000 MTC Guineas (1600m) with a powerful late charge.
Under Tommy Berry, Cosmic Avenger sat towards the rear, took the wide path on the bend, but surged rapidly down the straight to catch Godolphin’s Coulter and prevail easily.
Wodonga conditioner David O’Prey got Rosie’s Prophecy, with Brendan Ward aboard, home for a surprise victory in the $75,000 Queen of the South (1400m).
Prior to that, Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse was present to see the exquisitely bred Eton deliver a dominant return-to-racing success in the Super Maiden (1200m) by almost four lengths.
Eton is superbly bred by champion sire I Am Invincible out of Waterhouse’s dual Group 1-winning mare English, was making a comeback after an 18-month injury-enforced layoff and was having only his third career start but his runaway win suggests the gelding has a future on the racetrack.
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