Vilana secures another bumper payday to continue sensational spring

Vilana claimed his second AUS$1m contest of the season at Newcastle on Saturday, as Godolphin’s remarkable spring in Australia showed no signs of stopping.

The Hallowed Crown homebred got up near the line to defeat G1 winner In The Congo by a neck in The Hunter, adding to his victory in the Silver Eagle at Randwick in October.

Godolphin horses have won 17 Group races in Australia already this season, headed by Anamoe’s four G1 victories, with exciting juvenile Barber securing another lucrative prize when taking out AUS$1m Golden Gift at Rosehill Gardens earlier this month.

Attention now turns to Western Australia as the Ascot Racing Carnival hits full stride. Vilana will travel out to Perth alongside Kementari, Paulele and Cascadian in search of more big-race glory over the coming weeks.

In Japan, prolific dirt winner Lemon Pop narrowly missed out on a first G3 win as he was caught on the line in the Musashino Stakes at Tokyo on Saturday. The G1 February Stakes back at the same course remains the ambition for the four-year-old, who boasts a record of six wins and three seconds from his nine career starts.

Sundoro, half-sister to the outstanding Pinatubo, continued an excellent season in France with a second Listed win, this time scoring in the Grand Prix de Marseille on Sunday.

Two-year-old Twice As Sweet also enjoyed Black Type success with an emphatic win in Saturday’s Smart Halo Stakes at Laurel Park. Her victory saw Godolphin pass the US$15m earnings mark in North America for a second successive year.

Bahrain hosts its flagship meeting of the year on Friday, with Dubai Future, Passion And Glory, Magny Cours and Royal Fleet all set to run in the G3 Bahrain International Trophy.