It was a red-letter day for Albury trainer Ron Stubbs, who won the $150,000 Southern Districts Country Championships qualifier while training a winning treble on his home track on Sunday.
Teaming up with champion hoop Craig Williams, the pair won the feature of the day, with defending champion Bianco Vilano relaxing beautifully in the run before finishing strongly to win the 1400m event and book his spot in the $1 million final at Royal Randwick on April 6.
In a close finish, Bianco Vilano ($2.80) edged a very game Asgarda (Kayla Nisbet, $4) from the Doug Gorrel yard by a neck, while in third and only threequarters-of-a-length off the pace was stablemate Baledon (Jason Lyon, $18)
Stubbs, who’s always thinking about the Country Championships with different horses, was just happy to have a horse like Bianco Vilano in his stable.
“It’s always in the back of your mind with whatever you have,” Stubbs said.
“When a new horse walks into the stable, and you think, ‘Maybe?’ and it’s good to get one that can do it back-to-back,” Stubbs said.
Bianco Vilano followed up his 2023 qualifier win and finished fourth in the final to the Brett Robb-trained Sizzle Minizzle.
When asked if he was a better horse this year, Stubbs didn’t think so but touched on the five-year-old’s maturity.
“I don’t know if he is better, per se, but just more seasoned,” Stubbs said.
“Even in his attitude, because he can be a bit playful, he is just a more mature horse now, and I think that is helping.”
Regarding a plan between now and the April 6 final at Royal Randwick, Stubbs said he would have to consider his options.
“It’s something we haven’t given any thought to. Today was basically the Grand Final, and you can’t go anywhere if you don’t get past today, and we’ve done that,” Stubbs said.
“We’ll take a few days and see what we feel is the best option. He is a good, clean-winded horse, and we wouldn’t have to race him.”
Stubbs and Williams dominated the program, winning three races at Albury, and the hometown trainer was thrilled to have the 75-time Group 1 winner on board.
“It was fantastic, and it just could not have worked out better,” Stubbs said.
“You watch Craig ride, and they are just so well balanced, and even with Prophet’s Daughter, when they straighten, you know they’re going to be full of running; he just helps them.”
The pair’s first win was with Sparring ($2.70), who carried an incredible 63.5kg to victory in the 1000m Benchmark 82 Handicap.
Prophet’s Daughter ($1.90) then kicked away for a decisive victory in the Country Boosted 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Sunday’s Southern Districts qualifier followed hot on the heels of the Northern Rivers qualifier at Grafton, which saw Matthew Dunn quinella the race with Tribeca Star and Rainbow Connection.
Country Championships action returns at Tuncurry-Forster on Saturday with the running of the Mid North Coast qualifier before the Central Districts qualifier at Mudgee on Sunday.
For more on the 2024 Country Championships, click here.
