11 Jan 2022Our homebred Almanzor colt Villon showed he was progressing well when he won at his second trial outing over 800 metres on the synthetic track at Cambridge.
The two-year-old had made his first appearance at Matamata in early November and finished off the pace, but the benefit of that experience was evident this time around.
The Team Rogerson-prepared Villon was quickly into stride to sit on the leader’s quarters and was allowed by rider Kozzi Asano to run to the line under his own steam for a narrow victory.
The youngster was purchased out of our New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft earlier this year for $300,000 by Rogerson Bloodstock and we accepted an invitation to remain involved in the ownership group.
Villon is the third foal of the One Cool Cat mare Onlyarose, a four-time winner and black-type performer who has already produced the stakes performers Snapper and Fireglow.
The dam produced another colt by Almanzor in 2020.