Winona Costin guides Regal Stage to victory in Snake Gully Cup for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott

The first lady of Australian racing can now tick the $100,000 Snake Gully Cup (1400m) off her bucket list after Regal Stage ($4.40) claimed the time-honoured feature in true Waterhouse style.

Winona Costin took Regal Stage to the front and despite looking in some trouble at the 400 metre mark, he dug deep and fought off his rivals to score by a long neck.

Wagga Town Plate winner Irish Songs ($5.50) ran second, with $3.40 favourite Sausedge flashing home to finish a further short neck back in third.

Costin was thrilled to deliver a feature race win for Waterhouse and training partner Adrian Bott.

"It's fantastic. I've had a couple of winners here but only a couple so to get a good ride in the Snake Gully Cup and to win it is just fantastic," Costin said.

"It's such a good race, everyone gets here, even in COVID, we've got a few people here, it's good to have the crowd back and with Gai's support, I love riding winners for her.

"Gai took me on when I was a young apprentice and gave me a big go and to be riding winners again for her is fantastic."

Waterhouse watched on from afar but was delighted to take out the Gundagai feature for the first time.

"Regal Stage snares the Snake Gully Cup. His owners' tinder boxes are bulging at the seams," Waterhouse tweeted.

"Winona Costin keeps booting home the Tulloch Lodge horses, a magical combination."

It was career win number five for Regal Stage, an $1.8 million yearling purchase, at his 17th start and his second straight success after scoring at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day.

Costin said she was impressed by the fight of the six-year-old.

"I got taken on a fair bit in the middle stages and I came off the bridle a fair way from home but he was tough as nails and that's what a Gai and Adrian horse is, they're tough and he certainly showed us that today," she said.

Albury gallopers Sky Call and The Doctor's Son ran well to finish fifth and sixth.

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