The best-performed juvenile going into the VOBIS Gold Ingot has captured his second lucrative Caulfield win of the season.
The David Hayes and Tom Dabernig-trained Valliano ($4.80) held off the well-supported favourite Dissolute ($3.80) in Saturday’s $150,000 race, adding to the gelding’s victory in the sale-restricted $250,000 Inglis Premier over the same 1200m course in February.
Valliano
This year’s race was named the Vale Phil Sly VOBIS Gold Ingot, honouring prominent owner and breeder Phil Sly who lost his battle with cancer earlier this month.
Valliano’s dam Miss Valley Road was part-owned by Sly during her racing career.
Valliano was unplaced in the Group One Blue Diamond earlier this campaign before finishing third in the VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo and bounced back after leading on Saturday.
Godolphin colt Dissolute came from worse than midfield after jumping from a wide gate and powered home to get within a long neck of the winner, while If You Will was another 1-3/4 lengths away third.
“He’s a tough, professional horse,” stable representative Gary Fennessy said of Valliano.
The victory took Valliano’s prize money to more than $330,000 from seven starts.
