Well-bred Polanski colt Fabulanski scored a big upset in the Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington on Saturday earning a shot at the same Group 1 staying test his father took out seven years ago.

Fabulanski is a likely 2019 VRC Derby prospect after winning the Taj Rossi Series Final in a blowout at Flemington. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
The Group 1 $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington on November 2 is very much on the spring agenda for the up-and-coming bay after his impressive victory over the mile on Finals Day at Flemington.
Ridden to an all-the-way win by Linda Meech, Fabulanski jumped a $31 outsider but held all his rivals at bay including the Patrick Payne-trained favourite Rubisaki ($2.25) who finished a neck back second.
Meech gave Robbie Laing’s youngster an absolute peach of a ride to produce the all-important black-type victory as Fabulanski broke his maiden status in the Listed feature.
The talented Inglis VOBIS Gold graduate showed great tenacity in the blowout win, giving merit to Laing’s long-term goal of the Victoria Derby 2019.
“I said to the owners, ‘he’ll win the Taj Rossi and the Derby’,” Laing said post-win.
“He’s almost a dead-spitter of Polanski. I thought his (last) run at Bendigo was indicative of him coming here and winning today.
“The main reason we ran him today, apart from thinking we could win, was to gain some prizemoney to ensure he’ll gain entry to better races later in the year ahead of the Victoria Derby.”
Laing prepared Fabulanski’s sire Polanski for his 2013 Victoria Derby success when the son of Rakti saluted as the $5.50 second pick by three lengths over complacent with Hugh Bowman aboard.
Polanski won the spring staying classic on the back of a lead-up win in the Group 3 Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) on Caulfield Cup Day, the event now known as the Ladbrokes Classic running on October 19 this year.
Another Saturday winner eyeing the 2019 VRC Derby this coming Cup Carnival is the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Rule The World who took out the first in Sydney (Randwick) with Tim Clark aboard.
The 2019 Victoria Derby nominations close in late September with futures markets set for release shortly at Ladbrokes.com.au.