General Salute powers to victory in Newcastle's The Hunter

General Salute concluded a stellar spring carnival for the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable with a nail-biting triumph in the Listed $1 million The Hunter (1300m) at Newcastle on Saturday.

The richest race at Newcastle saw a gripping duel between General Salute and She's An Artist, with the victor conceding 6kg to its rivals and winning by the narrowest of margins.

This training partnership has fielded fewer than 100 starters this season, achieving 13 wins, six of which were at stakes level, and amassing close to $8 million in prize money. Key spring carnival victories include:

• The Group 1 Golden Eagle – Skyhook
• The Group 2 Theo Mark Stakes – Skyhook
• The Group 2 Shannon Stakes – Skyhook
• The Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap – General Salute
• Listed The Hunter – General Salute
• Listed The Rosebud – Chilly Girls

While Skyhook's impressive spring, particularly its Golden Eagle success, has been the stable's standout achievement, Alexiou expressed the deep satisfaction General Salute's Hunter victory provided.

"I'd like to have another 10 horses like General Salute in the stable, I know that much, he is such a gutsy horse,'' Alexiou remarked. "But like the other day with Skyhook in the Golden Eagle I didn't want to go up too early. I thought he just won but I wasn't sold on the result. I'm glad he got his nose in front on the line."

General Salute, sent off at $10, edged out She's An Artist ($7) by a nose in a thrilling finish to The Hunter, with the favoured runner Sweynesday ($6) a length and a half back in third.

Coal Crusher, a previous winner of The Hunter in 2023 and 2025, was retired from racing after finishing at the tail of the field.

The win was General Salute's sixth from 22 career starts, pushing his earnings beyond $1.6 million, though he had to earn this Hunter success through sheer determination.

"I was happy where he was in the run but I noticed from about the 600m he was being hard ridden which is unusual for him but it was an indication of how quickly they were going up front,'' Alexiou elaborated. "Then he made his run with She's An Artist and to that horse's credit, she was not going away. I was a bit worried she might get the better of him late as he was giving away quite a bit of weight (6kg) to the second horse but like he often does, he finds a way. He's the ultimate professional because he gives everything he's got in his races. There was a time when he went about 18 months without a win but he bumped into some really good horses. Although it is nice to run placings in those big races, nothing beats winning and he really deserved this win."

For prominent jockey Tim Clark, a devoted fan of the Newcastle Knights, this victory marked his first in The Hunter aboard General Salute.

Clark conceded that General Salute had to dig deep to get the better of She's An Artist.

"He's so tough and very honest,'' Clark commented about the gelding. "The tempo was quite quick but he was relaxed until he came off the bridle in the middle stages. But he had saved his energy and was able to show that good turn of foot late."

Clark admitted to initiating General Salute's run earlier due to the considerable 59kg impost.

"I was mindful of the big weight and wanted to get him going a bit earlier so he could get through his gears,'' Clark said. "To the second horse's credit it kept coming with him and we couldn't shake him off. He's a horse I really enjoy riding and I'm glad he got his head down on the line. It was nice to get a big win on him."

Alexiou confirmed that General Salute's spring campaign, and the stable's overall season, will extend beyond The Hunter.

"We will look at the Supernova at Pakenham in about a month's time,'' Alexiou stated. "He's a horse that takes a little maintenance so the month between runs suits him. We've had a really good spring, I think we have done a great job with the 'cattle' we have got, placed them well and they have all won good races."

Considering placing a bet on The Hunter? Explore the leading Australian betting sites to compare racing odds and find the best available markets.