Victory Stakes 2016: Artlee primed to make play for Stradbroke ticket

TOWERING gelding Artlee is on a mission to clinch a place in the Stradbroke field as he starts a campaign that was mapped out a year ago in Saturday’s Victory Stakes at Doomben.

Trainer Todd Willan is hoping for a bold showing from Artlee on Saturday to boost his rating enough to ensure he makes the Stradbroke field.

TOWERING gelding Artlee is on a mission to clinch a place in the Stradbroke field as he starts a campaign that was mapped out a year ago in Saturday’s Victory Stakes at Doomben.

Artlee caught the eye of many Stradbroke speculators with a luckless first-up run in Sydney, where he should have finished much closer to Music Magnate.

Trainer Todd Willan’s concern now is to have Artlee’s rating high enough to ensure he makes the Stradbroke field. Saturday’s Group 2 WFA contest offers the ideal platform to start that process.

“Fell Swoop is the class runner and even though I wouldn’t be shocked if Artlee won, I see it as being very difficult to beat the favourite,’’ Willan said.

“I hope if he’s not winning, then he won’t be too far away and boosts his rating.”

Willan planned this campaign last spring and said it was always the intention to give Artlee a light preparation.

“He’d had a tough autumn so I didn’t want to overtax him in the spring, with this being the long term goal,” he said. “I’ve always thought this carnival would suit him.

“The Stradbroke at Eagle Farm at that distance on the big track should be the perfect race.’’

Artlee, winner of six from 12, measures a full 17 hands and can be a real handful but he’s forgiven for his sometimes cranky ways because of his ability.

Todd Willan with the sometimes wayward Artlee. Picture: Jono Searle

“He’s very set in his ways and likes to do everything of his own accord, but because he’s good I am happy to put up with it,” the trainer said.

Willan trains a small team as part of a bigger business which encompasses pre-training and breaking-in from his Muswellbrook base.

He has done that for the past four years and before that, spent three years with Peter Snowden at Crown Lodge.

“(Snowden) is the hardest working man I’ve ever come across,” Willan said. “I was able to ride a lot of Group 1 horses while I was there and it was a fantastic experience.”

Artlee provided the trainer with his biggest success in winning last year’s rich Country Championship at Randwick and then landed a maiden stakes win for the stable in the Luskin Star at Scone.

Godolphin’s Knoydart is jostling for second favouritism with Artlee on Saturday and his trainer John O’Shea said a recent gear change had really switched the six-year-old on.

“We tried blinkers on him last start and it seemed to make a difference. He’s continued to do well at home and he’s travelled up to Brisbane well and is in good order,” O’Shea said.

Originally published as Victory Stakes 2016: Artlee primed to make play for Stradbroke ticket