Winning Horse: Major Artie (Aus)

4yoG Artie Schiller (USA) - Major Conquest (Aus)(More Than Ready (USA))

17 starts - 5 wins 1 second 3 thirds 2 fourths $230045

Other Wins

1st Moonee Valley Charter Keck Cramer (Bm70) 1600m (2022)

1st Canterbury The Agency Real Estate (Bm72) 1550m (2021)

1st Gosford The Entrance Leagues Club-C1 1600m (2021)

1st Canterbury The Agency Real Estate Mdn Hcp 1250m (2021)

Other Placings

2nd Randwick-Kensington The Agency Real Estate (Bm72) 1800m (2021)

3rd Rosehill Bowermans Furniture (Bm72) 1500m (2021)

3rd Newcastle Tozer Air Mdn Hcp 1200m (2020)

3rd Randwick Headwater @ Vinery Mdn Hcp 1100m (2019) (Debut Run)

Race Result:

1st: Major Artie (Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Mark Du Plessis) - $2.30f

2nd: Star Of Michelin (Stuart Kendrick/Ryan Moloney) - $6.00
3rd: Trevelyan (Chris Meagher/Stephanie Thornton) - $6.50

Winning Time: 1:51.36 Last 600m: 34.24

Margins: Long Neck x Neck

Winning Trainer: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott (no stable representative available)

Winning Jockey: Mark Du Plessis

On winning the first race of the day: “It's actually my first ride I've ever had for Gai (Waterhouse) so it's quite special for me. I remember I went down to ride work for her a long time ago. She said ‘I promise you I'll give you a ride one day’ and I think this is her promise.”

“I did. A long time ago in 2007, I went to ride in the Sydney Cup and I thought ‘I'll do it myself a favour and go and ride work for her. And she said, then ‘I'll give you a ride one day’. It's taken a long time, but maybe she was waiting, waiting for a long time to give me a good one.”

Thoughts on Major Artie: “A month between runs up to 1800 when I don't think he's won past a mile is a huge effort. I know the weight helped but he will improve from this run and probably be more than competitive next time.”

Pre-race tactics: “When I spoke to Gai this morning I said there might only be one other horse that might undo that for us but otherwise I will be happy to lead. I got a nice, soft lead, probably went a little bit too slow but he is a month between runs and I was trying to do my best to get him to the 1800m. He may of fell in but I would say that he will improve from today.”

On building relationships with interstate trainers for the Queensland Winter Carnival: “When they bring these horses up nine times out of 10 it's the right one. Racing is getting competitive now and it's a good time to be firing as a jockey. At my weight, obviously that's going to help and it helped today.”

RACE PHOTO