Champion trainer Chris Waller had won eight of the previous 11 runnings of the $300,000 Group II ATC Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) going into Saturday and kept up the great strike rate when Sixties saluted as a short priced favourite.
A full brother to dual Group I winner Artorius, Flying Artie colt Sixties has been in hot form during the autumn winning the Group III VRC CS Hayes Stakes and finishing a gallant last start third in the Group I VRC Australian Guineas behind Observer.
Ridden a perfect race by James McDonald, he settled outside the leader after jumping from an outside draw and surged away up the straight to win by three-quarters of a length.
“Things didn’t really work out in the Australian Guineas, like today, he’s had bad draws and it just makes it harder. I think his best win was when we rode him quiet, but today, short price favourite, we’ve got three weeks into the Doncaster I thought ‘oh well we’ll try you up again on the speed,’ said Chris Waller.
“Ideally in the Doncaster we’ll ride him more conservatively.
“He’s got to go to a new level in the Doncaster, but he’s very well weighted.”
Sixties has just 49 kg in the Doncaster, so James McDonald will be out of play with Rachel King seen as the prime contender to take the ride.
McDonald was full of praise for Sixties.
“He would be a lot better off (being a bit further back in the run), but obviously he’s a classy horse, he’s just come on leaps and bounds from each run he’s had and he’s a gorgeous colt to boot,” he said.
“Ridden a bit quieter you’d really see a lethal performance. Obviously it was a bit tradesmenlike today but there’s room to improve.
“He travelled really comfortably. He’s just so honest, you can’t teach that. He’s got the heart of a lion.”
A $350,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Aramco Racing from Vinery Stud, Sixties is the highest priced yearling by his sire Flying Artie and has the overall record of five wins and two placings from 10 starts with prizemoney $735,500.
Bred by Greg Perry and foaled and raised at Vinery, Sixties is the second stakes-winner among six winners from top producer Grace’s Lass, an unraced half-sister by Redoute’s Choice to Group I winner Delectation.
The current two year-old from Gracie’s Lass is another exciting stakes prospect in Home Affairs filly Jacaranda, who was bought by Tom Magnier from the Vinery draft at Inglis Easter last year for $300,000.
She won brilliantly on debut for the Lindsay Park team and was then a close fifth in the $2million Inglis Millennium.
Vinery sold a Pinatubo (IRE) colt from Gracie’s Lass at Magic Millions in January for just $120,000 to Anthony Freedman Racing/Julian Blaxland Bloodstock and she has a colt to follow by Pierata, then went to Toronado (IRE).
It’s a progressive family that has the potential for quite a bit to be happening this year, while Artorius has moved on with the next phase of his career at Newgate Farm and has yearlings selling in 2026.
Flying Artie started off at Newgate and these days calls Blue Gum Farm in Victoria his home and breeders rallied to the value sire last spring.
Basking in the glory of siring Europe’s best sprinter in 2025 in Asfoora, Flying Artie was a popular pick with broodmare owners covering 96 mares at a fee of $11,000.
