In the ATC Thank You Stable Staff Handicap (1800m) at Randwick, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Sly Boots initially took a commanding lead, only to be challenged strongly by Perfect Justice who surged down the centre of the track.

Adrian Bott, co-trainer of Sly Boots, confessed to moments of doubt as Perfect Justice closed the gap.

“I thought that the other horse (Perfect Justice) was going to go straight past us,” Bott said. “But to Sly Boots’ credit he really dug deep and found a way to win. He’s been up a while but has been racing very consistently without winning so he deserved to win this today.”

Sly Boots, the $4.80 second favourite, ridden by Rachel King, held off a determined Perfect Justice ($4.20) by a half-neck. The race favourite, Trapalanda ($3.50), finished a further three-quarters of a length behind in third.

Jockey Rachel King also had concerns as Perfect Justice made his move.

“But Sly Boots saw him coming and he raised another effort,” King said. “I think the drier track helped and he really wanted to win today.”

Bott indicated that immediate plans for Sly Boots were undecided. The gelding has now amassed five wins and seven placings from 27 career starts, with his earnings exceeding $400,000.

“We might look at a similar type of race in the next couple of weeks,” Bott said.

Perfect Justice, trained by John Sargent, continued his consistent winter form. This was his third second placing from his past four starts, with his only win in that period being a Midway event over 1600m where he narrowly defeated The Mona Lisa.

Excuses for Perfect Justice are scarce, although the gelding did sweep wide on the turn and embark on a long sustained run. In contrast, the winner benefited from saving ground by angling back towards the inside rail, a tactical advantage that likely proved critical given the slender margin separating the two competitors.

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