Powerful sprinter Trapeze Artist collected his fourth Group 1 trophy with an all the way win in the Group 1 $500,000 Canterbury Leagues Club Stakes (1300m) at Randwick today.

Trapeze Artist, above, scores an all the way win in the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart.

Winning rider Blake Shinn had no hesitation in taking Trapeze Artist ($3.80) straight to the front and the giant striding four year old was never headed to record a one and half lengths win over the Anthony Freedman trained Shoals ($5).

Prompt Response ($41) was always in the firing line and fought on in the straight to claim third spot for new trained Chris Waller.

Shinn said that Trapeze Artist was travelling like a winner a long way from home and he responded strongly in the straight to record a comfortable win.

The James Cummings trained Kementari was sent out as the $3.30 favourite but was always near the tail of the field and failed to run on to finish last of the seven runners

Trainer Gerald Ryan had given Trapeze Artist two barrier trials since his first up fourth in the Group 2 $200,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on February 2 and was confident that the stallion would be at his best today.

“With Blake riding him in the two trials then the way the field was made up today we were going to be a little positive on him, not necessarily lead. With the map we didn’t know where we’d end up, he said he’d just take his time until the half mile and then work it out from there. It’s exactly what he’s done,” Ryan said.

Ryan will now prepare Trapeze Artist to win a second Group 1 $2.5m T J Smith Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on day one of The Championships on April 6 before lining up for a second win in the Group 1 $600,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 20.

“It’s the most Group 1s I’ve won with a horse. We’ve got two more to go – the TJ and the All Aged. We’ll see what happens,” Ryan said.

“Same plan as last year. We’ll send him away for a week then three weeks to get him ready for the TJ.”