Major Occasion ($18) found a way to win Saturday night’s $50,000 Group 2 Cordina Family Sibelia Stakes (1,609 metres) for the Bathurst trainer despite spending most of the race battling the breeze on the outside line.

She saw off a late challenge from James Rattray’s Arts Treasure ($10) by a neck to come home in a career-best mile rate of 1:50.4.

Anthony Frisby drove the Art Major mare home to a 13^th career win and secured an invitation to the Group 1 $200,000 Ladyship Mile on March 3.

Major Occasion has produced big performances in the past – such as a runner-up result in last season’s Queensland Oaks – but this is a new milestone for both mare and trainer.

This is Chris Frisby’s first taste of success at Group 2 level.

Major Occasion had been building towards a run like this ever since her preparation began on Boxing Day.

“She had run three thirds prior to that, where she went only alright, but I just couldn’t get the weight off her,” winning trainer Frisby said.

“She was working the house down but that was all could say [to the owners] because when you’re racing in that sort of grade then it’s hard going.”

Anthony Frisby and Major Occasion sat midfield on the opening turn but as runners slotted into gaps along the pegs they were caught four back with no cover.

That forced Frisby to urge his mare towards the front alongside leader Soho Burning Love.

Even though she had worked hard to reach the head of the pack Major Occasion was able to blow past Soho Burning Love across the final 200m.

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Village Witch had sat perfectly poised behind Major Occasion through the run but, surprisingly, couldn’t muster up a challenge when Frisby’s mare upped the ante.

The big challenge came from Arts Treasure who had began her sprint from four wide on the home bend.

The two leaders broke clear from the rest of the field.

Frisby worked furiously on the reins in the closing strides as Major Occasion held on for a determined win.

Bridget Blue Chip ($12) was the best of the rest, nearly 10m off the pace.

Chris Frisby praised the efforts of the top two finishers.

“She did it so hard. That other horse looked like she was going to go straight past her about three-quarters of the way down the straight but she saw her and kept going,” he said.

“The other horse went unbelievable as well after she’d drawn quite badly.

“[Major Occasion] is a very tough horse. She’d run second in the Queensland Oaks last year by a head after sitting in the death as well.

“But when they went 26 in the first quarter and she had to work herself up to the death seat and Village Witch, the favourite, was sitting on her back I thought she was going to race right past us on the straight.”

The Ladyship Mile will run on Miracle Mile night at Menangle. The meeting also features three other Group 1 events: The Bohemia Crystal FFA, NSW Oaks and NSW Derby.