Progressive gelding Yulong January has added to his winning sequence over summer with a determined victory at Flemington.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained four-year-old was the $1.70 favourite in Wednesday’s Welcome 2020 Handicap (1400m) and after taking a sit under jockey Jye McNeil he was up for the fight in the straight to get past Morvada and score by a long head.
Mamzelle Tess was another half-length away third in the field of eight, with Yulong January notching his fourth successive metropolitan-grade victory since late November.
Yulong January won on the Ballarat Cup program on November 23 before winning on Pakenham Cup day on December 7 and at Flemington on December 21.
Eustace said there were a couple of options at Listed level coming up for Yulong January in the coming weeks but longer term indicated the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield was on the radar if he can keep stepping up.
“He’s just very tough and loves being a racehorse,” Eustace said.
“The Rupert Clarke (next spring) could be a lovely race for him if he’s got 52 kilos and he draws a gate. We’ll definitely work back from that, long term, but he is winning in summer as well so we don’t want to get too carried away.
“But he’s just a good racehorse.”
Yulong January has won seven of 13 starts with five of his wins over 1400m.
