The reigning champion Australian sire, trainer and jockey combined to win the opening race at Canterbury on Wednesday with a lightly raced four year-old that was one of the top sellers at the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Four year-old Snitzel stallion Phantom Major has been a work in progress for Chris Waller, but finally made it to the races for the first time at Newcastle last month when finishing a close second in a 1250m maiden.
Sent around today in a $100,000 Super Maiden over 1200m, Phantom Major settled back in the field and unleashed a big finish to charge home and win by a length and a half in an encouraging performance.
A $60,000 Magic Millions purchase from Segenhoe, Phantom Major was pinhooked into the NZB Ready to Run Sale and after breezing in a slick 10.23 seconds was purchased for $480,000 by Blandford Bloodstock / Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the draft of KB Bloodstock.
“He's a big strong horse and I thought there was a bit of a risk bringing him to Canterbury first time, but his run at Newcastle was great and James (McDonald) just let things unfold and he was dominant over the last part,” said Chris Waller.
“He has an interesting group of high-profile overseas owners and they entrusted him to us and said take your time, there's no rush and he has just progressively got a little bit better with time, so it's exciting.”
Phantom Major was bred by Phoenix Thoroughbred and is the first winner for Hard As, a winning half-sister by All Too Hard to Group II winner Thump from stakes-winner Oomph.
