The Queensland sunshine could be the final factor to help under-rated Vilanova break his Group One duck in the Queensland Derby 2014 on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller believes Vilanova is finally ready to show his best in a Group One race after thriving on recent travel between Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
“He loves it (the travel). He’s a typical Commands, he’s got a good constitution and, touch wood, I’ve never had a horse that doesn’t thrive in Queensland,” Waller said.
Vilanova raced as Catalonia in New Zealand, where he was a Listed winner as a two-year-old, but has won only two races in Australia – the Melbourne Autumn Stakes and the BRC Grand Prix Stakes.
However, it was his brilliant Grand Prix win which has seen him rocket to the head of the Queensland Derby (2400m) markets.
“The Grand Prix confirmed to me that he can stay and it confirmed he doesn’t need wet tracks. That’s what I didn’t know. I knew he had ability and the way he races, he does need a bit of luck to go his way,” Waller said.
He added he was puzzled by criticism of the horse as Vilanova had always been consistent and his Brisbane form wasn’t really a revelation.
“He hasn’t changed. He’s always been running consistent races. He blew them away in Melbourne one day and he didn’t have much luck after that.”
Meanwhile, Vilanova’s owner Neville Morgan admits a win for the gelding would give him a special thrill.
Morgan is Queensland’s biggest individual owner who has horses with trainers in four states and he tasted Brisbane Group One success with a share in Sizzling who won the JJ Atkins (1600m) last year.
A former Australian beach sprint champion, Morgan has made a name for himself in the professional world with a printing business.
However he has always had a soft spot for racing and the broad range of people it attracts.
“My first horse back in the 1990s was called Still Friends and was trained by Lyle Plumb,” Morgan said.
“She won some city races and was later a good broodmare getting winners such as the smart sprinter Damigos.”
Along the way Morgan has experienced highs and the lows, no more than with the top miler Rangirangdoo.
He gave Morgan his greatest racing thrill by winning the Doncaster Mile but then his lowest moment when Rangirangdoo was euthanased after being injured in last year’s Doomben Cup.
However, Morgan said a win would Vilanova would give him a special boost.
“We won the South Australian Derby with Kushadasi who is trained by Richard Jolly. We were considering taking Vilanova to South Australia for that race but decided we were better keeping them apart,” he said.
Morgan admits Vilanova has been frustrating but bristles at suggestions he is a false favourite.
“He will do me and I could do with a few more like him,” he said.