Patinack Farm has endured a frustrating run of minor placings in major races in Sydney and Melbourne this Spring Carnival but all that was rectified when Craig Williams conjured a brilliant front running ride on Gathering to run his rivals ragged in the $1 million Railway Stakes (Gr 1) at Ascot on Saturday.

And the son of Tale Of The Cat (USA) did it in style, stopping the clock at 1:35.11 and crossing the line a widening two and three-quarter lengths clear of the chasing pack at the end of the 1600m.

Famous Roman and Megatic took the minor placings in a bunch of horses that included the winners more fancied stablemate Trusting.

Trainer John Thompson enjoyed training four winners on the day for Patinack in three different states that included the juvenile filly Motifs (Fusaichi Pegasus) who remains unbeaten in two starts in Adelaide.

Gathering was considered a major chance in the Emirates Stakes at Flemington on the final day of the VRC Spring Carnival but missed out on a start. An astute piece of planning saw Gathering head to Perth and he has thrived in the heat, looking in terrific order before the race and real credit to Thompson and his team.

Patinack have had five Group One seconds this spring, with Trusting, unplaced in the Railway Stakes, providing two of them in the George Main Stakes and Epsom Handicap.

The Railway is the second Group 1 win for Thompson who rightly applauded Williams’ ride. “It was an 11 out of 10 ride,” he said. “A fantastic ride, and the horse well deserves it.

“He’s been racing at the top level all his career, he’s an honest horse.”

Williams was full of praise for Gathering. “Today Gathering was supreme, he was in the zone. When I asked him to be good and tough, he was. We saw Gathering at his best today.”

Gathering (4 g Tale Of The Cat – Celebria, by Peintre Celebre) has now won four of his 20 starts and earned nearly $1 million  He will get a chance to add to that in the Kingston Town Classic in a fortnight.