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Quality galloper Albany Reunion has moved a step closer to a trip to Christchurch.

The Fastnet Rock five-year-old turned in a solid last-start performance under 59.5kg at Ellerslie where he finished runner-up to Pinzaara, who was in receipt of five and a-half kilos.

“It would have been nice if he had won, but he did get right to the line and from the outside gate with that weight I was very happy with him,” trainer Nigel Tiley said.

The effort confirmed that Albany Reunion has made a sound recovery after contracting a virus that shelved plans to take the gelding to Melbourne for the $A1 million Gr.1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

“I’m rapt with the way he has come through the race at Auckland, I’ve ridden him myself since and he’s really bouncing around,” Tiley said.

Plan B for the Gr.1 Easter Handicap winner Albany Reunion is now the Gr.2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile at Riccarton on November 12.

“He’ll come back in the handicap and we’ve got until November 3 to put in the late nomination so we’ll wait until the last minute,” Tiley said.

Albany Reunion boasts the impressive record of five wins and six placings from his 11 appearances.

He showed his ability early on with a debut win preceding a runner-up finish in the Gr.3 Mr Tiz Trophy as a three-year-old.

The following preparation he placed in the Listed Newmarket Handicap and at his sixth start he ran fourth in the Gr.1 Telegraph Handicap before claiming the Easter two runs later.

This time around, Albany Reunion was runner-up to Antonio Lombardo when resuming before turning the tables on the Matamata sprinter-miler the next time they again met at Ruakaka.