Vilana is rapidly stepping out of the shadows of his illustrious siblings, with his third stakes winning coming with an impressive performance in Saturday’s Group III Hall Mark Stakes at Randwick.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller for James Cummings the son of Hallowed Crown hit the front at the 100m to defeat Waihaha Falls (Sacred Falls) by one and a quarter-length with Key Lago (I Am Invincible) a neck back in third.
Winner of the Group III BRC Fred Best Classic, Listed ATC South Pacific Classic, and the $1,000,000 The Gong, Vilana advances his record to seven wins and a second from 12 starts with earnings of $1,725,300.
“We love this horse, there’s really something about him,” James Cummings enthused.
“He’s got a lot of potential to go up to Brisbane and be a really serious campaigner up there for their winter carnival.
“A great effort to kick off his campaign and get it underway with a win and the Hall Mark Stakes has been a happy hunting ground for our stable. An excellent way to find a fresh horse on the scene for Queensland later on.
“He will probably be capable of going on and covering a few mares at the end of the year if we can knock off a Group One with him, that would be ideal.
“The horse’s rating is already pretty high so it’s going to be hard for him in a Stradbroke, but we’re happy to target the race. The Kingsford Smith Cup looks right in his hitting zone, we might even give him a run in the Doomben 10,000 in between.”
Nash Rawiller said Vilana had few favours in the run, facing the breeze three wide.
“You don’t want a tough run like that first-up but full credit to him,” Rawiller said.
“Off a couple of trials, he was a bit fitter than probably I rode him last time first-up, so I think he’ll bounce through that run well. There’ll be a good race for him in Queensland.
“He’s a beautiful horse. He oozes class and he dropped the bridle for me where we were. By the time we got to the 600m there was no real worries because he relaxed and just got into that right rhythm that he was going to run the trip.
“I love this horse, I think he’s got bigger things ahead of him.”
Vilana is one of three stakes winners for his dam Retsina, who won a Doomben maiden in nine starts.
A daughter of Redoute’s Choice, Retsina made the best possible start to her broodmare career.
Her daughter Savatiano (Street Cry) was first past the post in Group 1 ATC Canterbury Stakes, only to lose it 12 months later due to a positive swab. She won five Group II’s, and like her half-brother, won The Hunter, on the way to banking over $2.3million.
Retsina made it two stakes winners from her first three foals with the Lonhro filly Athiri.
A dual Listed stakes-winner Athiri banked $811,300 from five wins and seven placings, including the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude, Group III Magic Night Stakes and Group III Kindergarten Stakes, from 22 starts.
Retsina has a 3yo colt by Lonhro named Rakomelo has a win and three placings from nine starts and was second to Best Of Bordeaux in the Canonbury Stakes.
Retsina has a 2yo colt by Street Boss (USA) named Assyrtiko and a yearling filly by Blue Point (IRE) named Efharisto.
After foaling a Blue Point (IRE) colt in December, Resina missed for the first time in her career with a late covering by Victor Ludorum (GB).
