The win of Vilana in Saturday’s $300,000 Group II The Star Moreton Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm made it five winners on the day for James McDonald, who added the son Hallowed Crown to a list of Stradbroke hopefuls.
Winless in ten starts since the Group III Hall Mark Stakes at Rosehill in April last year, Vilana left his rivals without an excuse when downing the crack sprinter Mazu (Maurice) by three and a half lengths with Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) a neck back in third.
With his fourth stakes success, Vilana advanced his record to eight wins, two seconds, and one third from 23 starts with earnings of $2,105,300.
Winning trainer James Cummins said gelding the 5-year-old had helped Vilana focus.
“We liked the horse in the race two years ago as a three-year-old, and now that he’s been gelded this preparation, he’s been flying,” Cummings said.
“A couple of things haven’t quite gone his way, but third-up he was bang on and is now on track for the Stradbroke in seven days. He was a rank outsider a week ago and we were struggling to find a jockey, but I think Tim Clark will be happy he got on the front foot and secured the ride.”
“The Stradbroke has always been a desirable goal for Vilana, he was beautifully placed in the set weights and penalties today and we felt he had a lot of hidden merit to his run in the BRC Sprint. It’s exciting to see him loom up and win a race like this so easily.
“We know what we’re doing with him, he’s going so well that we just stick to the routine. Provided he pulls up well, we’ll have him in good shape for the race. He’s a dynamic late bloomer into the race given the form he carries into it; he’s going to be a real X-factor.”
James McDonald said Vilani and a previous winner, Yellow Brick, had top chances in the Stradbroke.
“I’ve qualified two horses for the Straddie today, and can’t get on either of them,” McDonald said.
“Both are really good horses for that sort of race. They’re down in the weights and if it’s a fast run race I’m sure they’ll produce the goods.
“He exploded and gave me a beautiful feel. The race panned out perfectly and he’s been promising that sort of performance. He’s a beauty to ride.
“It was a very good performance and it’s difficult to split them, but Yellow Brick at 51 kilos has got to be a really good chance. He gave me an excellent feel so there’s not much between them, I’ll sit on the fence.”
Vilana is one of three stakes winners for his dam Retsina, a daughter of Redoute’s Choice, who 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 Vilana, won the $1,000,000 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’s Lonhro colt named Rakomelo has two wins and three placings from 21 starts and was second to Best Of Bordeaux in the Canonbury Stakes.
Retsina has a 2-year-old filly by Blue Point (IRE) named Efharisto, who finished second to Ern’s Cube on debut in the Max Lees Classic at Newcastle last November, and a yearling colt by Blue Point (IRE) named Aleppo Pine.
After missing in 2022, Retsina was covered by Pinatubo (IRE) last spring.
Vilana is one of eight stakes-winners for Twin Hills Stud’s dual Group 1 winning Street Sense stallion Hallowed Crown, which stands at $8,800 in 2024.
