Trainer Mitch Beer enjoyed a perfect start to the Albury Gold Cup carnival after landing a winning double from his only two runners on Thursday.
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Beer, who now lives and trains in Kembla Grange but still has a team of horses at Albury, won with Suspect and Flying Sultan and was on course to cheer home both gallopers.
Flying Sultan handed the Beer stable victory in the $75,000 City Handicap, (1175m) after scoring an all-the-way win over the sprint trip with apprentice jockey Angus Villiers in the saddle.
The five-year-old gelding started the $4.20 third favourite behind recent SDRA Country Championships qualifiers in Bianco Vilano ($4) and Asgardo ($3.20-fav).
Flying Sultan was coming off a career best performance after demolishing his rivals by more than five lengths at Kembla Grange.
Similar to the Kembla Grange victory, Flying Sultan pounced on the early lead and opened up a handy break halfway down the straight.
Flying Sultan looked the likely winner at the 200m mark before Bianco Vilano emerged from the chasing pack with this trademark turn of foot.
With Tyler Schiller in the saddle, Bianco Vilano was finishing powerfully but ran out of time to run down Flying Sultan who prevailed by a head in a thrilling finish to the feature sprint.
It was an eye-catching run from the Ron Stubbs-trained galloper who will now head to the final of the $1-million Country Championships at Royal Randwick on April 6.
Bianco Vilano was a $15 chance for the lucrative final over 1400m but was quickly wound into $11 after his slashing performance in the City Handicap.
Flying Sultan is part-owned by several Albury Racing Club committee members including president Dick Sloane, Paul Spencer, Mick Dyordyevic and Glenn Chapman.
Former president Mark Cronin alongside Commercial Club president Graeme Edgar and Newmarket Hotel publican Phil Nicholson are also in the ownership.
The Beer stable also scored earlier in the day with Suspect who was successful in the $50,000 Super Maiden Showcase Handicap, (1400m) with jockey Nick Souquet aboard.
Starting as the $4.60 second favourite, Suspect was among the leaders turning for home and proved too strong in the straight to win by more than half-a-length.
SDRA trainers dominated the meeting with six of the seven winners.
Wagga trainer Gary Colvin shared the training honours with Beer after Aqualina's Star ($2.15) and Zontawah ($5) claimed the opening two races.
Local trainer Donna Scott also notched a winner with Villasaurus who took out the $30,000 Benchmark 58 Handicap, (1400m) with Blaike McDougall in the saddle.
Tim Donnelly also joined the SDRA trainers party after he combined with Danny Beasley to take out the $50,000 Albury Mile, (1600m) with Cliff House ($2.25-fav).
McDougall claimed the riding honours with a double aboard Villasaurus and Aqualina's Star.
The Albury track raced superbly on Thursday after 22mm of rain on Tuesday night and was a Good 4 for the meeting.
The club is expecting more than 11,000 racegoers to attend Albury Gold Cup on Friday with a perfect 23 degree day forecast.
The $200,000 feature has been reduced to nine runners after the scratchings of leading fancies So United and Redstone Well on Thursday.
