A CAULFIELD-based trainer who has tasted success in Dubai and had winners at Royal Ascot was delighted to win his first Murray Downs Swan Hill Cup yesterday.
Tony Vasil’s Under the Eiffel saluted in the main race of the prestigious three-day country carnival ahead of Peter Moody-trained Oregon Spirit and Danny O’Brien’s Eraset.
Ridden by Jamie Mott, the five-year-old gelding has now claimed almost $600,000 in prize money after being bought out of the paddock for $45,000.
A strapper for Vasil, Brian Baldwin said the win was reward for effort.
“He’s been coming here for a long time and is thrilled to finally win this race,” he said.
Baldwin also paid tribute to Mott’s “very well judged” ride in the 1600m main event.
“He finished off the race and put them to the sword at the 200m. He won as he liked,” he said.
Baldwin described Vasil as a “very talented trainer” but said it was the well-planned nature of the carnival that attracted him to Swan Hill.
“If the Swan Hill carnival wasn’t very well-run and thought out, someone of Tony’s calibre wouldn’t come here, but he keeps coming back year after year because it is well run,” he said.
