Royal result for Wilsons in Oamaru Cup
Jess de Lautour • July 20th, 2025 6:36 PM
Bevan and Robyn Wilson brought a formidable trio of chances into Sunday’s Crombie and Price Ltd Oamaru Cup (1600m) and all three ran with great merit, but none more so than the winner, Royal Valour.
The Ashburton couple had accepted into the feature with Royal Valour, Lord Darci and Victorian Charm, all of which they bred and own, and each horse was well-fancied in the market, closing second, third and fourth favourite behind Iffididit.
As anticipated, Royal Valour was a stride slow away from the barriers and jockey Bridget Grylls took advantage of her inside draw, sliding through to settle just worse than midfield. Regular frontrunner Vamos took up the pacemaking role and ran along at a solid tempo, with Lord Darci in his trail.
Winning contenders lined up across the home straight to set up a grandstand finish, and coming powering through the centre was Royal Valour, who caught Vamos at the 50m and kept finding to salute by three-quarters of a length from a storming He’s Tunza Grunt.
Vamos was just a half-head adrift in third placing, with Lord Darci, Iffididit, Victorian Charm and Bauble all within two lengths of the winner.
Grylls had watched on when Royal Valour claimed the top spot last start at Ashburton, and she was rapt to get the job done when given her opportunity by the Wilsons.
“He won really well last start at Ashburton with Hayley on board, he just loves this sort of track,” Grylls said. “I knew we’d get back and he’d be strong in the finish.
“He was a little bit slow out of the barriers which isn’t unusual for him, I stuck there along the inside which is getting quite cut up now but I tracked the Wilson’s other horse (Lord Darci) into it.
“He changed leg and I knew he was going to be in for the fight.
“Even to have three in the race with form like that is a great achievement in itself, and they all went pretty well.”
A son of Belardo, Royal Valour is out of another homebred Wilson mare in Royal Governess, who won three races in her career. In the broodmare paddock, Royal Governess also produced four-time winner Madam Sequoia and Guvnor, who won two races before being sold to Hong Kong.
In Sunday’s success, Royal Valour brings his overall stakes to over $142,000, with seven wins and six minor placings from 34 starts.
The Oamaru Cup is a key lead-in for southern horses heading towards the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m), and in the pre-nomination TAB market, Royal Valour and Lord Darci - a former winner of the race - sit as $18 hopes. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
