Five-star man James McDonald quipped he wished the Queensland handicapper would raise Stradbroke Handicap weights by several kilograms after “x-factor” horse Vilana stormed into contention for the Sunshine State’s most prestigious race.
Six days after landing world domination in Japan with Romantic Warrior, McDonald was at his brilliant best in Queensland as Vilana’s stunning Moreton Cup romp rounded off his five Eagle Farm winners.
The Godolphin galloper was already safely in the Stradbroke field and weighted with 52.5kg, although weights are set to be raised by half a kilogram in coming days.
It won’t matter to McDonald given he won’t be able to make the weight next Saturday, with Tim Clark booked for Vilana’s Stradbroke mission after trainer James Cummings confirmed the Blue Army sprinter would back up.
Such was the emphatic nature of Vilana’s Moreton Cup win that McDonald joked he would get on the phone to the Queensland handicapper.
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“He exploded today and, down in the weights in the Stradbroke, he will be a very good chance,” McDonald said.
“He has been promising that sort of performance for a while.
“He is a really, really good horse.”
Vilana’s explosive win by more than 3.5 lengths in the Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) saw him storm into Stradbroke calculations as a $13 chance on TAB.
Vilana has had two previous cracks at the Stradbroke – finishing eighth behind Alligator Blood in 2022 and 10th behind Think About It when ridden by McDonald in the race last year.
Now five years old, Vilana’s win on Saturday was his first in more than a year. But Cummings was convinced he could give the Stradbroke a mighty shake.
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“I was trying to keep a lid on him in the last 200 metres today, because he needs to have a bit of gas left in the tank for the Stradbroke,” Cummings said.
“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.
“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.”
Tony Gollan has the $6 Stradbroke favourite Antino and was hoping to qualify another horse in the Moreton Cup but there was no joy for All That Pizzazz (fourth), Zarastro (sixth) and Nettuno (seventh).
Originally published as Five-star James McDonald rues missed Stradbroke Handicap opportunity on ‘X-factor’ horse Vilana after Moreton Cup win