Win, lose, or draw, Investmentstrategy will eclipse the $500,000 career prizemoney mark in Saturday’s Easingwold Stakes at Ascot.
Hayden King
Despised outsider Hemlock Stone has become one of the biggest priced longshots to claim feature glory in WA racing’s history, capturing the $1 million Group 2 TABtouch Perth Cup (2400m).
One of WA’s greatest jockeys who claimed the Perth Cup on three occasions will have an close eye on proceedings in this year’s $1 million 2400m event at Ascot from a different perspective to most.
After lifting his seasonal tally to 11 winners with a Boxing Day hat-trick, local trainer Josh Brown will again have a fearsome representation at Esperance Bay Turf Club’s January 3 fixture.
Tegan Guthrie
Nearly 70 years on, Kalgoorlie trainer Peter Fernie will look to emulate the deeds of his grandfather Robert by winning WA’s greatest staying contest.
Wednesday’s Group 2 $1 million TABtouch Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot will now be a twilight fixture commencing at 3:37pm, with heat regulations prompting evasive action.
Power-packed mare Papavero Princess justified a weight of support in her favour, plundering the $100,000 Barragup Self Storage Mandurah Cup (1400m) at Pinjarra with a withering finishing burst.
Trainer Tony Gollan unearthed a future Stradbroke Handicap contender with the progressive Transatlantic taking the $300,000 Magic Millions The Buffering (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
With the Perth Cup less than a week away, Saturday racing action will head to Pinjarra for the main weekend fixture of racing in the West, highlighted by the $100,000 Barragup Self Storage Mandurah Cup (1400m).
Young jockey Taj Dyson flagged a return to race riding at Monday’s Belmont trials after retiring from the saddle more than a year ago.
Jockey Beau Mertens emulated the deeds of his late father Peter in claiming the Listed $300,000 Sportsbet Pakenham Cup aboard the brave front-runner Goldman.
In Good Order stamped himself as the new kid on the block and further staked his claim for the Perth Cup with a gritty win in the Group 2 $300,000 Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) at Ascot.
Perth’s hot spell of weather will force Ascot to host the earliest race fixture in memory, with the first event commencing at a revised 9:04am timeslot.
The Group 2 $300,000 Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) shapes as a key lead-up to the Perth Cup on New Year’s Day, with big race favourite Socks Nation out to preserve her title at the top of betting.
One of the favourites for the Group 2 $1 million Perth Cup remains in limbo, with the Victorian-based Serpentine sweating on a charter flight to WA for the Ascot feature on January 1.
Brazilian-born jockey Manoel Nunes will be the beneficiary of leading WA hoop William Pike’s injuries, with the now South Australian-based rider set to ride for our State’s leading trainers on Wednesday.
Top jockey Chris Parnham is the second leading hoop knocked out of Ascot’s rich carnival after copping a 17-day suspension at Ascot on Saturday.
Ernie Manning
The restoration of a once great empire is complete, with Grant and Alana Williams’ hero galloper Western Empire returning to the limelight with a ripping triumph in the Group 3 $1.5 million Gold Rush at Ascot.
Roughie Robusto delivered a knockout blow for in-form trainer Bjorn Baker in Saturday’s $2 million The Ingham (1600m) at Randwick, giving last fortnight’s Winterbottom-winning trainer a treble on the day.
Grant and Alana Williams have one more bullet to fire in the rich Pinnacles features, with stable hero Western Empire favoured to win the Group 3 $1.5 million 7plus Sport Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot.
Western Australian horses will finally get their day in the sun on the final day of the Pinnacles carnival, with an all-local representation in the Group 3 $1.5 million 7plus Sport Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot.
William Pike’s manager has revealed how WA’s best jockey broke his wrist in an “innocuous incident” this week, ruling him out of the ride on favourite Western Empire in this Saturday’s The Gold Rush.
Star jockey William Pike will miss the rest of the Ascot carnival after injuring himself riding an E-scooter.
Chris Robinson
Greyhounds WA has commemorated 50 years of racing by crowning Miata the greatest dog in history amongst recognising several other iconic figures of the sport.
