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By Ray Hickson

Jockey Jason Lyon was more than happy to ride whatever Albury trainer Ron Stubbs handed him for the Newhaven Park Southern Districts Country Championships (1400m) and he came up trumps as Bianco Vilano won his way to Royal Randwick.

Jockey Jason Lyon (Pic: Steve Hart)

Stubbs had three runners in the $150,000 feature on his home track on Saturday, Baledon ran fourth and Tap ‘N’ Run sixth, and maintained the unbeaten record of Albury trainers winning their regional Championships.

Bianco Vilano burst through the pack about 200m out to claim Donna Scott’s Our Last Cash, also Albury trained, and raced almost two lengths clear with Burrandana charging home late in third.

Lyon, 42, has been based in Albury for about 12 months and rated the Country Championships his most satisfying success since the move.

“It’s probably one of my biggest thrills since I came here, especially on the home track,’’ Lyon said.

“I thought I was on the right horse. I was back a bit in the run but once I got the split he burst through and put them away easily.”

Fellow jockey Nick Souquet has been Bianco Vilano’s regular rider but Lyon gained the call up when Souquet said he’d be away for the meeting.

“Stubbsy asked me a few months ago whether I have a ride in the Championships, I hadn’t secured one at that stage and he had three in the race I was happy to just go with his judgment,’’ he said.

It was Stubbs’ first Country Championships win though Tap ‘N’ Run took him to the Final at Royal Randwick last year after qualifying with a second placing.

He said the four-year-old’s last start defeat at the hands of Burrandana was disappointing but felt being ridden off the pace would suit him.

“He came off the float just bouncing and he was just in the zone,’’ he said.

“Jason had every confidence in him pre-race and that’s been vindicated.

“We waited and waited before we put the blinkers on and then we felt we had to, and I really think it’s been a turning point for him.”

Stubbs hasn’t decided whether Bianco Vilano will have another run before the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final (1400m) on April 1.

Donna Scott has her fifth finalist in the past six years in Our Last Cash and she was proud of her lightly raced four-year-old’s performance.

Our Last Cash lost his mother when he was two weeks out and was fed out of a bucket. Scott’s team had to hand feed him and she feels there’s still so much upside for the future.

“What a tough effort. He was gutsy, he got out there and just one better beat him on the day,’’ she said.

Bianco Vilano wins the Country Championships at Albury

“He is still only lightly raced and he will run a good race come Sydney.”

Both Bianco Vilano and Our Last Cash sit on the $21 line with TAB in the Final.

Favourite Participator finished last in the Albury race but jockey Danny Beasley was lucky to stay in the saddle after being badly held up when taking a rails run inside the 300m.

All the results and replays for Saturday’s Country Championships meeting at Albury