The young Hunter Valley horseman starts his marvellous five-year-old gelding, the inaugural winner of this year’s Country Championships, in today’s $200,000 Group 3 Guvera Stakes (1400m) against some of the biggest stables and best horseflesh in Australia and the world.

Horses from the leading stables of Chris Waller, the Hawkes, the Snowdens, John O’Shea and David Hayes will line up against Artlee.

The Lee and Anthony Freedman-trained Disposition is  the $3.90 favourite with Artlee a $5.50 second favourite.

Artlee, a son of Excellent Art, has won six of his 10 starts.

Three came in a devastating spell in February when he spreadeagled his opposition to win the Wild Card at his home Muswellbrook track and earn a start in the Country Championship Final at Randwick which he won in similar devastating fashion.

He then returned to the upper Hunter Valley to win a Listed race on Scone Cup day, went for a spell and then came back with an eye-catching and ultra-impressive third to good sprinters at Randwick two weeks ago.

How he didn’t win the Country Horse of the Year after going from a maiden to winning a Country Championship and Listed race in the one preparation is still a talking point across the region.

His track work since his return has been so good it has enabled Willan to take him to Melbourne “for another step up”.

“It’s a big thrill for me,”  Willan said this week after a 12-hour trip to Melbourne, broken up by a two-hour stopover in Sydney.

“He travelled real well,” he said.

“I’m very happy with him. He ate up.”

Willan walked the Flemington track too and was almost overwhelmed by the grandeur, history and size of the famous track.

“I looked down the track and couldn’t believe how long the straight is,” he said.

He turned at the famous clocktower and marvelled at the majesty in front and behind him.

“I never thought in my wildest dreams I’d be down so early in my career with a horse of his calibre,” he said.

“Racing on Derby day against some of these horses.”

Everyone saw his ground-gobbling third to Dothraki and That’s A Good Idea at Randwick two weeks ago.

They all know, as Willan  has for a long while – almost from the first day he came to his stable courtesy of his Singleton owners – that he is a special thoroughbred.

“He’s drawn two,” Willan said of the  barrier draw.

“It was time for me to step him up too.

“He’s shown a lot of promise but I’ve got to take him to the next level – see if he can stick his nose out and win down here.

“I’m pretty confident he can.”

Another part of the fairytale story involves Willan’s great mate and race jockey Mitch Bell.

He’s been riding him “since day dot” and formed an affinity with the gelding.

That Willan  has kept him on for this Group 3 race at Flemington is testament to their friendship and regard.

Bell , who began his riding career as an apprentice with Mark Mason in Tamworth, flew down to Melbourne yesterday morning.

“He’s walking the track in the morning with Tommy Berry and getting an idea of how to ride the course,” Willan said yesterday.