Businesswoman Karla McPhail reveals key to her success in $1m The Archer slot race

Queensland businesswoman Karla McPhail is the most successful slot-holder in The Archer, and believes her $26 roughie can give her a second win in the “best field we’ve ever had”.

The Archer slot-holder Karla McPhail is hoping for more success with Rob Heathcote’s gelding Cosmo Centaurus.

Yeppoon businesswoman Karla McPhail is proud of the fact that she has the best record in the short history of The Archer in Rockhampton and she has revealed the key ingredients to her success in the $1m slot race.

McPhail owns the slot for the Rob Heathcote-trained gelding Cosmo Centaurus for Sunday’s race, which offers $565,000 prizemoney to the winner in the fourth edition of the event.

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The boss of Undamine Industries, a contracting firm specialising in the coal industry, McPhail finished second with Apache Chase in the inaugural edition of The Archer in 2022, ironically behind Heathcote’s Emerald Kingdom.

In 2023 she placed fourth with Namazu, who went around again last year when he saluted at a starting price of $16, with Ashley Butler riding.

Cosmos Centaurus, who will be ridden by Sydney jockey Chad Schofield on Sunday, is paying $26 with some bookmakers to win The Archer, and McPhail believes she has several key advantages.

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The gelding won’t have to travel nearly as far as southern raiders such as Iowna Merc ($4) and Sandpaper ($5), while he will be well weighted as the only three-year-old in the race.

“I think the game or the race of The Archer has changed quite dramatically this year,” McPhail said.

“It’s really important that we understand weight-for-age and that’s a big advantage for me.

“But there are some really experienced and excellent horses in the race and I really believe this is the best field, the most even field, that we’ve ever had. I think this year is the most difficult to pick.”

Namazu saluting in The Archer last year. Picture: Matt Harris/Caught in the Act Photography

Asked the secret to her success in The Archer, McPhail, who once splashed out more than $16,000 on a pair of Christian Louboutin heels worn by Oprah to raise money for charity, said: “I’m just lots of good fun and I don’t take life too seriously.”

But don’t mistake her fun-loving attitude for a lack of competitive instincts.

McPhail knows horse racing inside out and has an insatiable appetite to win the Archer again.

Her husband Peter is listed as being her slot holder partner but “I don’t count my husband, he’s not involved. They only put his name on there to be polite”.

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She is one of only two women slot holders in The Archer, with Jennifer Acton, the widow of Queensland cattle baron Alan, owning the slot for trainer Tony Gollan’s Stradbroke Handicap hope Transatlantic.

“I’m a bit sexist to all the other boys, I give them a really hard time,” she said.

“I’m just in it for fun. I’m the highest-achieving slot-holder because I’ve had a second, fourth and first.”

McPhail believes knowledge of the Rockhampton track and careful planning in the travel of horses are crucial to success in The Archer.

“Knowing that track, regardless of how good a jockey you are, is really important,” she said.

“I know because I lost to Rob Heathcote by a bee’s d--k (in 2022). Apache Chase should’ve won that race by miles but it ran on to the finish line, not over it.

“Now we’ve joined forces. He’s won one year, I’ve won another year and now we’re friends. All’s forgiven for year number four.

“Travel is also a really big issue in this race. While really good horses are travelling from NSW, you’ve got to stagger that and plan it really carefully.

“The travel, the heat and the track can unravel these horses from down south so it is a little bit hard but there are some really good horses this year.”

Originally published as Businesswoman Karla McPhail reveals key to her success in $1m The Archer slot race