A start in the Arrowfield 3yo Sprint is an Autumn Carnival option for Villami after the filly scored an all the way win in the Listed $140,000 Tokyo City Keiba Fireball Stakes (1100m) at Randwick today.
Villami, above, scored an all the way win in the Fireball Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.
Villami has firmed in from $19 to $9 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Group 2 $1m Arrowfield 3yo Sprint (1200m) at Randwick on Day Two of The Championships on April 11, but trainer Gerald Ryan is also looking to a Brisbane Winter Carnival for the brilliant filly.
Villami hit the ground running and secured an easy lead from the start and Ryan said that he knew the filly would be hard to beat after she had travelled less then 100m.
“About 80m after the start,” Ryan said.
“I know she is fit, she has improved, she is a bigger stronger filly now. And when she was able to control the race I thought she would be hard to beat because she has been flying at home.”
Winning jockey Tim Clark rated Villami ($6) perfectly in front and when he said go at the top of the rise, the Foxwedge filly exploded away from her opposition to record a one and a quarter length win.
The $4 equal favourite Cosmic Force was doing his best work over the concluding stage to find the runner’s stall while his Peter and Paul Snowden trained stablemate California Zimbol ($4.40) was three lengths back in third spot.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Yao Dash started the other equal favourite but was always well back in the field and never threatened to finish sixth in the seven horse field.
Ryan said that he would give Villami a light Autumn Carnival preparation before heading to Brisbane for the Winter to chase a Group 1 win in the $500,000 Sky Racing Tattersall’s Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 20.
“The whole idea was to give her a couple of runs here and then aim her towards Brisbane and try her at 1400m in a race like the Tatt’s Tiara.”
“We will just poke along with her quietly and see where we end up with her.”
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