Praiseworthy efforts from Vilana and Paulele ahead of key Classic week

Valiant performances in victory and defeat from Vilana and Paulele at Eagle Farm on Saturday earned both three-year-old colts a return to the Brisbane course for a crack at next month’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap.

Vilana gained his fourth win from six starts with a determined display in the G3 Fred Best Classic (pictured) – a success that guarantees the son of Hallowed Crown a place in the highlight of Brisbane’s Winter Racing Carnival.

Paulele filled the runner-up spot at G1 level for a second consecutive time as he was denied by a head in the Kingsford-Smith Cup.

The Dawn Approach colt had previously gone down by a short-head in the Doomben 10,000 and also placed in G1 company last month when finishing third behind Royal Ascot-bound sprinter Nature Strip in the T J Smith Stakes.

Egot has proven a model of consistency in France and the four-year-old displayed an impressive turn of foot to gain a second G3 victory in Sunday’s Prix du Palais-Royal at Longchamp.

Having missed the majority of 2021 through injury, Lemon Pop continued his superb start to the year as he recorded back-to-back Stakes wins on dirt at Tokyo on Saturday.

American Patriot filly Breathlessly secured valuable Black Type on the same day when taking third in the G3 Aoi Stakes at Chukyo.

Nations Pride, Nahanni and Walk Of Stars will hope to maintain Godolphin’s Classic stranglehold in the UK when they line up in the G1 Derby at Epsom Downs this Saturday.

Derby Day will mark 399 days since Poetic Flare captured last season’s 2,000 Guineas by edging out Master Of The Seas. Horses in the Godolphin silks have annexed all three subsequent British Classics for colts, with Adayar storming to victory in the Derby, Hurricane Lane striking in the St Leger and Coroebus beating Native Trail in this season’s 2,000 Guineas.

With The Moonlight will also aim for Classic glory at Epsom Downs on Friday when she tackles the G1 Oaks, with Manobo looking for a breakthrough first G1 on the same card in the Coronation Cup.

Modern Games will attempt to join a select group of colts to win both the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains and the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday, while Honeycreeper is due to bid for Classic honours herself in Saturday’s G1 Queensland Oaks back at Eagle Farm.