Star hoop Lucy Fiore earns back-to-back Albany Community Cup victories, winning 2026 title aboard True Player

Emerging stayer True Player handed an Easter treat to red-hot jockey Lucy Fiore and top city trainers Grant and Alana Williams after a brilliant Albany Cup win on Sunday. Heavily supported into a $1.85 favourite, True Player showed his potential with a superb finish to edge out fellow fancy Rocking Society ($8.50) by a short neck to win Albany’s annual Easter Sunday feature race. Fiore, who is in wonderful form, made it eight wins in five days — four of which were feature races. True Player, who had a local link with Gray Williamson among the winning owners, sat midfield after jumping from barrier three and Fiore waited patiently before making her move at the top of the home straight on her way to success in the $125,000 Wellington & Reeves Albany Community Cup (2100m). The rising five-year-old gelding sprinted home strongly from seventh on the corner to hand Fiore back-to-back Albany Cup victories, having won the trophy from aboard Filthy Habits last year. “I’m feeling really good,” the star hoop said. “Last year, we led and won, which was great but this one was a little bit more thrilling — I was hoping I got a run and yeah, it turned out really good, so it was an even more thrilling finish. “The winning move was definitely trying to just get to the rail and playing it cool early. “I think the track is quite heavy today, and saving ground was very important.” The Indianna Weinert-trained Mister Popcorn ($10) made a mid-race move to take the lead from What A Prince but the leaders tired as the moves came from back in the field. Rocking Society from the Jason Miller stable was brave in defeat after his Pinjarra Cup win, as hoop Brayden Gaerth tried desperately to get him over True Player in the final 100m. Royal Law ($8.50) finished nearly two lengths back in third place for trainer Ashley Maley and rider Holly Nottle while Deadly And Fast ($12) was the best of the Albany runners with a fourth place finish for trainer Alan Smith and jockey Lisa Staples. Co-trainer Grant Williams said he was biting his nails on the final straight as his galloper raced to the biggest win of his career. “She (Fiore) explained to us that the track was pretty heavy, and she had to ride it one way, which is a little bit against his pattern,” he said. “But she stuck to the plan and she executed it great. “We’ve got the cup now and it was a great team effort. “I’m happy with all the staff, happy with Lucy’s ride, and, you know, very thankful for all our owners.” The former $110,000 yearling, owned by a syndicate, is likely to be set for next month’s Rogan Josh Stakes at Ascot and Belmont Park’s Strickland Stakes in winter, ahead of a possible Perth Cup campaign. Having now won six of his 15 career starts and three other minor placings, True Player has won nearly $250,000 in prizemoney and is one of the young stayers on the up in WA.