2024 The Hunter: Gary Nickson to saddle up Felix Majestic for owner and friend Phil Katos

The unexpected phone call that rekindled a four decades old professional partnership could result in two men celebrating a win in Newcastle’s richest race on Saturday.

The unexpected phone call that rekindled a four decades old professional partnership could result in two men celebrating a win in Newcastle’s richest race on Saturday.

Trainer Gary Nickson and owner Phil Katos have the speedy Felix Majestic in the Group 2 $1 million The Hunter (1300m).

Nickson revealed he first started training for Katos in 1984 but had not heard from the Geelong businessman for more than 20 years until he received an unexpected call from the owner in 2015.

“When I was at Canterbury 40 years ago I trained a couple of winners for Phil,’’ Nickson recalled.

“But I hadn’t heard from him for many years until he rang out of the blue in 2015 and asked me to train a couple of fillies for him.’’

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Katos explained to the trainer he had been concentrating on his seafood business for many years but was now looking to get back into racing and breeding.

Those fillies were both by Beneteau and were called Lauren’s Magic and Evonne’s Magic.

They were modest performers with Lauren’s Magic retiring a maiden after 17 starts while Evonne’s Magic did win at Gosford and was placed in another seven races during her 23-start career.

But both mares, who are now at Ollie Tait’s Twin Hill Studs, have been doing very well as broodmares.

Evonne’s Magic has had two foals to race so far and both have been winners including Zielle, a three-year-old filly by Denman who broke her maiden for the Nickson-Katos partnership at Goulburn last Saturday.

Lauren’s Magic has had three foals to race and all have been winners but Felix Majestic, who is by Smart Missile, is clearly the standout.

Felix Majestic has won six of his 24 starts and has twice been stakes placed, earning nearly $500,000 prizemoney.

Felix Majestic and Molly Bourke run them ragged with a perfectly rated ride! pic.twitter.com/SuITIsKX7w

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

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The brilliant five-year-old has already earned more prizemoney than any horse Nickson has trained.

If Felix Majestic can win The Hunter, it will be the biggest win of Nickson’s training career, too.

Tandrio is Nickson’s only Group-class winner, taking out the Group 3 Tramway Handicap at Randwick in 1984, the same year the trainer met Katos.

Nickson has also prepared dual Listed winner Alpha Miss, who won the Gimcrack Stakes and Lonhro Plate during the 2013-14 season.

Based at Warwick Farm these days, Nickson has never had a big team in work – he currently has 26 horses on his books – but he’s never had a horse with Felix Majestic’s natural ability, either.

Felix Majestic goes to The Hunter at the Newcastle stand-alone meeting after a consistent, albeit winless spring campaign that has included a close sixth to Royal Patronage and Amelia’s Jewel in the Tramway Stakes then his third behind McHale and subsequent The Big Dance winner Gringotts in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap.

Nickson believes Felix Majestic’s most recent run was arguably a career-best effort when he led most of the way before finishing a close fourth to Rustic Steel in the Listed Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury.

The Listed Ladies Day Cup at @hawkesburyrc goes to Rustic Steel for @Leesracing, and it's a winning double to @JoshuaParr8 👏 pic.twitter.com/97EfkdIHBM

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 7, 2024

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Rustic Steel stopped the clock at a stunning 1m 27.38s for the Hawkesbury 1500m, a new race and track record.

“Felix Majestic made the time,’’ Nickson said.

“The first four over the line broke the old track record and they ran home in 32.5s for a 1500m race – that’s flying!

“He made the pace and he was going to run second until about 20m from the finish.’’

Felix Majestic is rated a $26 chance in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting behind Team Hawkes’ boom grey sprinter Briasa, the $3.80 favourite, ahead of The Kosciuszko winner Far Too Easy at $4.80 then dual Group 1 winner and topweight Private Eye at $6.

“I like Felix Majestic at 1300m,’’ Nickson said. “We also nominated him for the benchmark 94 but why not have a throw at the stumps at the $1 million race with the horse in such good form.’’

Felix Majestic has barrier eight for The Hunter but Nickson hinted his sprinter may not necessarily lead at Newcastle.

Instead, Nickson suggested the early lead would be disputed between Phearson starting from the rails barrier and defending The Hunter champ Coal Crusher out of gate 14.

“I’m worried about Joe Pride’s horse (Coal Crusher) and Brad Widdup’s (Phearson),’’ Nickson said.

“I expect they will lead so we might not lead this time. I think Coal Crusher and Phearson will go pretty quick up front and we might just sit off them.

“My horse can take a sit as long as those two are going hard.

“We could still lead, it takes a fast horse to lead my bloke, and if those two weren’t in it we would probably lead.’’

Nickson is staying loyal with apprentice Mollie Bourke who has ridden Felix Majestic in his past six starts.

"I love riding horses like that!"

Molly Bourke gave Felix Majestic a peach. 🍑 pic.twitter.com/tCsttoUNzj

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023

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“The horse just travels for Mollie,’’ Nickson said.

“He used to go well for Kathy (O’Hara) too, she won some good races on him.’’

Loyalty is also a central theme of Nickson’s professional relationship with Katos.

Nickson revealed he asked Katos recently why the owner doesn’t have his horses trained closer to home.

“I told Phil I don’t know why you don’t have your horses trained in Melbourne and he replied I won’t have a horse with anybody else,’’ Nickson said.

“He is very loyal and gives me free reign. He says you are training them, you pick out the races you want to run in.’’

So, what are Nickson’s plans for Felix Majestic if the sprinter races up to the trainer’s expectations in The Hunter on Saturday?

“We will consider running Felix Majestic in the Festival Stakes at Rosehill in two weeks and we might even have a look at The Ingham at Randwick next month,’’ he said.

“I’m not saying he couldn’t run a mile if we go to The Ingham, as that is a race we have earmarked for the horse. He has been so consistent this spring.

“Felix Majestic has a lot of ability, he’s honest and tries very hard. He just needs a lot of things to go right, as they all do at this level.’’

Originally published as 2024 The Hunter: Gary Nickson to saddle up Felix Majestic for owner and friend Phil Katos