by Mike Curry

After finishing second in the 2007 Cadbury Australian Guineas (Aus-G1) and third in this year’s Darley Australian Cup (Aus-G1), Casino Prince scored a breakthrough victory at the highest level on Saturday at Randwick in the $272,434 Chipping Norton Stakes (Aus-G1).

The Flying Spur horse closed gamely from the outside to prevail by a head, edging runner-up Tuesday Joy and third-place finisher Sniper’s Bullet in an exciting finish.

Trained by Anthony Cummings for Bernadette Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Smith, and Patinack Farm, Casino Prince completed 1,600 meters (7.95 furlongs) in 1:36.44 on turf rated as dead. His most lucrative career victory prior to the Chipping Norton was a win in the 2007 Top Cut Alister Clark Stakes (Aus-G2) at Moonee Valley.

Australian-bred Casino Prince is out of Lady Capel, by Last Tycoon (Ire).

Villiers Stakes (Aus-G2) victor Honor in War, winner of the 2003 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs, was involved in some contact with Tuesday Joy on the turn and nearly fell. Honor in War’s rider, Darren Beadman, said he was moving well at the time.

"I was traveling like a winner coming into the straight," Beadman, who returned from Hong Kong to ride Honor in War, told the Herald Sun. "Then we've gone from traveling well enough to win the race to being lucky to stay on our feet. He all but fell."

Honor in War dropped out of contention after the incident.

Mike Curry is Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor