Virtuous Circle breaks drought in rain-affected Kyneton Cup

Hometown trainer Liam Howley’s recent domination of the Kyneton Cup has continued with Virtuous Circle returning to winning form.

Runner-up in the 2023 ATC Australian Derby, Virtuous Circle had been winless since June 2024.

In between, the now seven-year-old contested the 2023 Melbourne Cup, finishing down the course behind Without A Fight.

Howley has enjoyed Kyneton Cup success with stable warrior Station One when the race was run at Bendigo in 2022 and New York Hurricane in 2024.

But he took special satisfaction from Virtuous Circle outstaying his rivals on a Kyneton track downgraded to the heavy range, ending an 879-day losing streak.

With Alana Kelly in the saddle, Virtuous Circle relished the conditions, looped the field, and edged away over the final 200m to beat Prince Eric and Bring Forth.