Casino Prince proved he isn’t out of place among the Hunter Valley’s leading sires when Mighty Lucky landed the LR Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

The Vinery champion is an Australian Top 10 stallion in the black-type division with the winners of five stakes races this season.  And Mighty Lucky can add another in the G2 Villiers Stakes at Randwick on December 12.

“The Casino Princes are all lovely horses,” trainer Fred Cowell declared.  “My bloke loves a fight and the Villiers won’t be any stronger than today.”

Saturday’s victory was his second Listed victory following last year’s Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at Scone.  “They rolled along nicely up front and he sprinted home well,” winning jockey Nathan Thomas said.  “He had a few quirks early on but we’ve ironed them out.”

Mighty Lucky has matured into a talented sprinter-miler with earnings of $461,415 and that’s typical of the breed.  His sire was Australia’s Champion first-season stallion in 2011-12 and stakes winners like Hooked, Escado and Casino Dancer are all racing as well as ever as five and six year-olds.

Casino Prince has 8 yearlings catalogued for the Gold Coast Magic Millions in January starting with Vinery’s colt from Ambitious Princess (Lot 19).  His dam is a winning sister to Strike The Stars (G3 Gloaming Stakes).