The gelding Bianco Vilano pulled off the rare Riverina feature double after beating a competitive bunch in Friday’s Listed $200,000 Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (2000m) at Wagga Wagga.
Bianco Vilano, under the care of respected Ron Stubbs, became the fourth horse ever to win both the Albury Cup and Wagga Wagga Gold Cup.
Fawkner Park was the most recent two years ago, preceded by Abstraction (1989) and Dan Patch (1945) as the only others.
A $12 pop, Bianco Vilano was steered by Jason Lyon standing in for the hurt Tyler Schiller, hitting the line a length and bit clear of Villasaurus ($21) as Flying Bandit ($12), the prior winner, was hot on heels in third.
Stubbs’ impressive career includes nearly every Riverina biggie, save for the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup – a gap now filled.
“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.”
After tipping his cap to Schiller, Lyon said 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 result qualifies him for the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Royal Randwick on the first Tuesday in November for Melbourne Cup Day.
The Wagga Wagga highlight meeting saw John Sargent double up in features, most notably with the $200,000 Inglis 2yo Challenge (1200m) via commanding debut effort from Global Goal.
Global Goal, a two-year-old filly sired by ex-English star Pinatubo from Fastnet Rock’s Tides – sibling to Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain, Shoals – went for $250,000 at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
With Dylan Gibbons up, Global Goal scored by a length plus from promising first-timer Friendly Fire of Gary Portelli.
Sargent’s other success came with advancing three-year-old Cosmic Avenger in the $80,000 MTC Guineas (1600m), hitting the line hard.
Tommy Berry positioned Cosmic Avenger rearward, wide at the turn, but bolted late to collar Godolphin’s Coulter with ease.
Wodonga-based David O’Prey had Rosie’s Prophecy, Brendan Ward riding, cause a boilover in the $75,000 Queen of the South (1400m).
Earlier Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse viewed elite-bred Eton demolish the Super Maiden (1200m) field by almost four lengths in his return.
Eton, by I Am Invincible from Waterhouse’s two-time Group 1 mare English, resumed post-18-month injury break for career start three, with his thumping win boding well for the gelding’s future.
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