Two Ballarat trainers have tasted group success for the first time.
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Richard Cully scored with Excellaration ($2.60 favourite) in the group 3 $300,000 Launceston Cup on Wednesday - leading home a Victoria trifecta.
This came after Patrick Kearney guided Yellowbrick Road ($8) to victory in the group 3 $150,000 Reims Stakes, 2600m, at Morphettville.
It was a sizeable step up from his previus start when he won the Great Western Cup, but the seven-year-old took it in his stride.
Excellaration has becopme a cup specialist for Cully - winning the 2022 Kerang Cup and also finished second in the Colac Cup
The lightly raced gelding has now registered six wins and seven placings from 18 starts for $425,900.
Yellowbreak Road has been a revelation for Kearney after joining the emerging trainer's stable midway through last year from the Anthony and Sam Freedman campa.
He has won three of seven starts and been placed twice.
The Irish-bred five-year-old won first-up at Bendigo in October before finishing third in the Mortlake Cup and second in the Ararat Gold Cup.
He booked the trip to South Australia with a win at Sandown, which was Kearney's first metropolitan win.
Yellowbrick Road's next big assignment will be the group 2 $350,000 Adelaide Cup, 3200m, on Saturday, March 11.
He is part of a strong contingent of Ballarat horses among Adelaide Cup nominations, which also include Excellaration, Alakahan (Ciaron Maher), Haaland (Robert Hickmott), Oceanie Flash (Andrew Payne), One Last Kiss (Dan O'Sullivan), Skelm (Terry Kelly) and Team Captain (Matt Cumani).
TONY and Calvin McEvoy saddle up Veight in the group 1 $1m Australian Guineas, 1600m, at Flemington on Saturday.
He returns to his own age group after a fourth to Mr Brightside in the CF Orr Stakes.
