Trainer Todd Willan’s thoughts were for an injured jockey as Artlee continued a climb through the classes at Scone on Saturday.
Artlee completed a hat-trick of wins in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes but the promising sprinter had to do it without his regular rider Mitchell Bell.
Artlee
Bell, who won the Country Championship Final on Artlee at Randwick last month, missed the ride after he was injured in a fall during the meeting.
It was left to Riverina jockey Richard Bensley to snap up a prized opportunity to claim a rare stakes win.
“Richard rode him exactly as I told him to but it’s disappointing Mitchell couldn’t ride him,” Willan said.
“He’s put in all the hard work and got this horse to relax the way he does now.
“That was my biggest concern and I thought that the only thing that could get him beaten was the jockey change.”
As Bell was being driven home to Sydney complaining of a sore wrist, Bensley gave Artlee the run his trainer expected.
Bensley guided Artlee into open spaces as soon as the field straightened and he chased down Oxford Poet to win by a length. Slots took third place, the same margin further back.
“Once Richard got him in the clear I thought it’s going to be game over. That’s the sort of horse he is,” Willan said.
“If he gets enough galloping room it takes a pretty smart one to get away from him.”
Artlee will now be given an extended spell and Willan hopes the four-year-old can mature into a strong 1600m horse.
“At the moment 1300 to 1400 metres is his best distance but I’m confident he will be just as effective over a mile,” Willan said.
Artlee’s win, his sixth in a nine-start career, continued a golden run for country-trained horses at the metropolitan class meeting with Leaders Road and In A Wink scoring in support races.