The race didn’t go exactly the way the Gulgong trainer had thought and he was concerned jockey Chelsea Ings had gone too hard, too soon on the four-year-old.

But instead, she had everything under control and eased to a three-and-three-quarter length win.

“It was an impressive win,” Thompson said.

“I actually thought ‘Chels’ was going a bit hard. We actually thought Prattler would lead and we were going to sit behind him but he’s a bit of a funny horse sometimes, Prattler, and sometimes he can jump and lead or he can not.

“I said (to Ings) put yourself there and if you’re there on your own then just roll on. I thought she was going a bit hard early but he just kept going on and I thought it was pretty impressive.”

The temperamental Prattler, ridden by debutant Ronald Simpson for hometown trainer Justin Stanley, threatened at the top of the straight but Ings pulled clear and won comfortably from Kingtantes ($6) and Special Silk ($5.50).

Prattler ($2 favourite) was fourth.

“It was one of his better wins and that wasn’t an easy race,” Thompson said.

The trainer added he had changed the workload with Attalea in recent times and the move to working him less paid massive dividends.

Attalea has been nominated for Sunday at Warren.