Gai’s Artist, a full sister to young stallion Trapeze Artist, has made the perfect start to her racing career with a courageous debut win on Randwick’s Kensington track.
Despite racing greenly in the straight, the $1.95 favourite with bookmakers lifted under Tyler Schiller to nail Betta Being Single ($2.25) in the last stride and get the verdict by a half-head in a thrilling finish to the Drinkwise Plate (1000m).
Named after owner Bert Vieira’s wife, Gai’s Artist is trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, the former having put the polish on Trapeze Artist during his racing days.
Ryan said he first laid eyes on Gai’s Artist as a young horse in the paddock and made sure Vieira planned to send her his way.
“When we first saw her at Widden (Stud), there was a list of two-year-olds he was keeping and I said it’s not even going on the list because I know where it’s going,” Ryan said.
“She’s a nice filly.
“They ran along a bit there in front and they kept it going and she showed a lot of fight.
“She was a little bit green in the straight, but she will improve off it. ”
Ryan confirmed the Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on November 11 was in the pipeline for Gai’s Artist, provided she came through her first start well.
He hopes the youngster can continue to improve and develop into an autumn carnival filly next year.
“I think she could be (an autumn filly),” Ryan said.
“She will either go to the Golden Gift if she does alright, or she will go to the paddock.”
Trapeze Artist didn’t race until the second half of his two-year-old season, winning his first start at Newcastle in 2017 before going on to claim the Black Opal Stakes, finish sixth in She Will Reign’s Golden Slipper and third in that year’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
Ryan said his former star and Gai’s Artist shared a common physical characteristic, but the filly had been much lower maintenance.
“They have the same white head,” he said.
“As a two-year-old, she is a lot easier to handle than what he was. He was a bit of a handful his first two preps but she has been a lot easier all the way along.”
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott had to settle for second with Betta Being Single in the opening race, but they went one better 35 minutes later with three-year-old Sly Boots ($3.60).
Gelded after a winless first campaign, the son of Toronado came from last to blouse Cheergal ($51) by three-quarters of a length and put himself on a path towards the Group 3 Spring Stakes (1600m) at Newcastle’s The Hunter meeting next month.
“I didn’t necessarily think they went hard in front, so it made the task even a bit more difficult and for a horse who is going to get out over further, no doubt some very encouraging signs there,” Bott said.
“He is still very raw. He’s putting it all together and he’s a lovely horse going forward.”
