21 Dec 2022Pedigree was to the fore at Warwick Farm where the well-related Villaden had no trouble justifying his short-priced quote.
The Cambridge Stud graduate was sent out a commanding favourite and James McDonald gave the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old an economical ride over 2200 metres.
The expatriate Kiwi jockey dropped Villaden into the trail and when the leader rolled off the fence at the top of the straight they were through in a flash and cantered home for the second win of his career.
“He was brilliant and got in a nice rhythm and relaxed and quickened to win with a fair bit in hand,” Waller’s Racing Manager Charlie Duckworth said.
“We’ve only just worked out how to ride him conservatively and then let him finish off. There’s improvement in him and it’s a welcome Christmas present.”
We bred Villaden and he was purchased out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $220,000 by Mulcaster Bloodstock and the Kaha Syndicate.
A brother to the dual Group 1 winner Young Werther, he is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Romantic Time who is a half-sister to the ill-fated G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Amelia’s Dream and also the family of the G1 BMW Stakes winner Grand Zulu.
Romantic Time has an unraced juvenile American Pharoah filly, foaled a colt by Savabeel this season and is currently in foal to Almanzor.