The first Group 1 of the Western Australian Spring Carnival arrives with the running of The Railway Stakes at Ascot over 1600 metres.
The Punter’s Prince has run his eye over all the field and provided us with his exclusive runner-by-runner guide of the first major feature from Perth.
#1 Valour road
scott miller
Considering the best performed horse in the race based on the handicap nature.
Has to carry the top weight and a jump from out deep on the course.
Will either concede a start or be trapped out wide.
Odds: $18 the win and $4.4 the place.
Finishing position: Sixth
#2 massimo
chris & michael gangemi
The likely leader in the race.
He is a tough on-pacer who will kicking on and fighting in the last little bit to hold out the favourite.
Weight just might be the issue late in the race as well as his two starts at the mile which have yielded no wins or placings.
Odds: $12 the win and $3.5 the place.
Finishing position: Third
#3 the velvet king
darren mcaullife
Well handled by Massimo and Valour Road last start despite starting hard in the market.
The market respect has to be considered in this race and he was only first-up, so he clearly has plenty of fitness up his sleeve.
Can make a sharp elevation here at handicap level and he draws a perfect midfield barrier to get the cushioned sit in behind the lead speed.
Might worth an each-way ticket at the big odds.
Odds: $20 the win and $5.5 the place.
Finishing position: Second
#4 dance music
simon miller
Needs to elevate big time.
Would be a shock to see her win from that barrier and with the form she is in.
Odds: $31 the win and $6.5 the place.
Finishing position: Ninth
#5 too close the sun
lindsey smith
Nothing in his first-up run suggests he can win this Group 1.
Prefer him over longer distances.
Odds: $31 the win and $8 the place.
Finishing position: Tenth
#6 comfort me
rhys radford
Tackles the hardest race of his career thus far.
Has strung together some nice wins in much lower grade.
A top ten finish would be a bonus for him.
Odds: $21 the win and $5 the place
Finishing position: Eleventh
#7 dig deep
daniel & ben pearce
Rank outsider and will likely start $101 or longer.
Odds: $61 the win and $10 the place
Finishing position: Last
#8 kaptain kaos
michael grantham
Had the fitness advantage and form over most his rivals during a solid patch over the winter and early spring.
Those races were much easier than this.
Weight relief of three kilos might see him finish in the top half of the field.
Odds: $18 the win and $4.4 the place.
Finishing position: Seventh
#9 Kay Cee
neville parnham
Her best form could win this.
She is struggling to recapture the form of her three-year-old season and early four-year-old season
Odds: $31 the win and $6 the place.
Finishing position: Twelfth
#10 kissonallforcheeks
daniel morton
Will camp behind the leaders and get all the favours from barrier one.
Jockey Chris Parnham will be hoping the seas part way on the home bend so he can drive this horse up on the rail and save all the ground.
Will look a winning hope at some point of the race.
Odds: $9 the win and $2.7 the place.
Finishing position: Fourth
#11 naughty by nature
jason miller
The BetDeluxe crew will probably let you on for whatever you want.
Not good enough to win.
Odds: $71 the win and $13 the place.
Finishing position: Fourteenth
#12 notorious one
chris & michael gangemi
The second elect of the Gangemi runners.
Should enjoy a nice run from barrier three and only carries 53kg.
However, the best distance range where he is at his most dynamic is the 1400 metres.
The mile might just see him gasping for air in the last 100 metres.
Odds: $14 the win and $3.7 the place
Finishing position: Fifth
#13 platoon
neville parnham
Doubt he has the ability to run top half of the field even though the Parnham family have a knack of getting their long-odds runners to run well in their ‘grand-final’ races.
Likely to concede a start from barrier 14 and does not have the sustained speed to make up the lengths he needs to win this.
Odds: $19 the win and $5.5 the place.
Finishing position: Thirteenth
#14 son of bacchus
rhys radford
If he wins… just give up for the day and rest of the Perth carnival.
Odds: $31 the win and $8 the place.
Finishing position: Fifteenth
#15 tellem we're comin
daniel morton
Former Grant & Alana Williams galloper who is now under the care of Daniel Morton.
Has always had a good level of talent just shy of the big guns in Western Australia.
Interesting that the blinkers get applied here and that should elevate his performance a few lengths.
Still well off the top horses in this event, but can run midfield and collect a cheque.
Odds: $41 the win and $7.5 the place.
Finishing position: Eighth
#16 western empire
grant & alana williams
The deadly combination of William Pike and Grant & Alana Williams combines for a Group 1 yet again.
Super win first-up when he was soft in the market drifting from $2.9 to $3.5 late in the betting.
He has come back from his spell in terrific order and any elevation off what he did last start could very well render him an absolute moral.
Only question mark is whether or not that soft kill upon resumption is enough of a fitness base to handle the mile second-up from his break.
If you’re happy to take odds-on, go for it.
Has to be the on-top pick and if he wins, the Kingston Town Classic in a fortnight time might just have his name written on it before the race is run.
Odds: $1.65 the win and $1.16 the place.
Finishing position: First
