After the Port Macquarie trainer was happy just to be in the Country Championship Final, jockey Ben Looker went a few steps further when Victorem stormed home.

Looker and the three-year-old gelding had a checkered path at Randwick Racecourse before the jockey found a way through the field.

After the difficulty of keeping an eye on all three runners at the Port Macquarie Qualifier in February, Graham had little trouble following Victorem’s fortunes in the $500,000 event.

“To be honest I only watched the one horse and that was him,” Graham said.

“I didn’t even see another horse in the race; I just followed his colours and watched him.”

The Port Macquarie trainer said there was a brief moment or two of worry where Looker’s path was blocked.

“There was a point there where he had a bit of interference and had to make another passageway,” she said.

“That was a little bit worrying for a few seconds, but when he found a way through he excelled really well.

“He had a really good run through on the rail and once that happened it was a nice free run from then on.”

The celebrations then started.

“Once he got a clear run the horse went really well for him and he was confident then that he was going to make it,” Graham said.

The trainer said the messages of support since the victory had been “phenomenal.”

“I’ve heard from people that I haven’t seen or heard from for quite a while congratulating me,” she said.

“I can’t describe it all really.

“I had all my family there – my parents, my brother and both my daughters so for them all to be there and win a race on such a day like that was unbelievable.”

So how good can Victorem be after claiming his fifth win from six starts – the last five have been in a row.

“We’re not sure how good he can be yet,” Graham said.

“Each mark we’ve put him under we’ve gone a little bit better and he’s stepped up each time that we’ve put him onto the next level.

“Hopefully he’ll keep going.”

There won’t be much of a break for the improving three-year-old with Graham indicating a trip to the Hunter Valley or Queensland could be on the cards.

“We’re looking at taking him to Scone or Brisbane so we’ll have a talk to the connections and sit down and work things out and go from there,” she said.

“He’s a very nice horse and he’s done a great job.”