Three Albany horses win for Albany trainers Roy Rogers and Steve Wolfe at nine-race Ascot program

Albany enjoyed a brilliant day at Ascot on Sunday, with leading trainers Steve Wolfe and Roy Rogers winning three of the nine races contested at the rescheduled metropolitan meeting.

Wolfe enjoyed success with River Rubicon and Currimundi, while Rogers prepared Halatorion to win the final race on the card, with the meeting switched from Saturday to Sunday due to extreme heat.

A brilliant ride from Shaun McGruddy ensured the promising River Rubicon ($3.70) scored in the Crown Perth Handicap (1400m) to notch his sixth career win.

McGruddy landed in a great spot at midfield before rocketing ahead in the last 100m to salute by a length ahead of the Rogers-trained pair Our Wind Spirit ($26) and Big Bada Boom ($8.50) in race four.

Kohli finished behind in fourth ($6) for Albany trainer Rebecca Wallrodt to round out an Albany first four.

Wolfe continued his hot form with a winning double as Currimundi came from well back in the field in the Morley Growers Market Handicap (1800m) to win by a half-length ahead of $2.80 favourite Crystal’s Dream.

Currumundi was sent out at $18 and came from 13th on the turn with a blistering finish to win with McGruddy in the saddle.

The Rogers-trained Halatorian ($2) justified his favouritism in race nine with a dominant win for William Pike in the Mumm Champagne Handicap (1200m), edging out the fast-finishing Stellar Vista.

The five-year-old gelding got the nod after leading the entire race despite a late charge on the outside from Stellar Vista ($10) with Pike urging his mount home.

Wolfe’s Ex Sport Man was ninth on the home corner and rattled home impressively to finish third, beaten by half-length.

Halotorian has now won three of his last four starts and Pike has been aboard for all three of them.

It was a big day for the Wolfe stable with Bragwell also finishing second in race seven over 1600m, going down by two lengths to the talented Weaponson.

The Darren McAuliffe-trained The Velvet Queen took out the $100,000 Ascot Mile on Sunday after warding off strong challenges from Big Screen and Corn Cob.