Former South African Glyn Schofield is looking at bumper day of racing at Ascot Racecourse in Perth this Saturday, the ace Sydney-based hoop having been booked for a trio of top rides on the 2011 Kingston Town Classic Day card.
Glyn Schofield will jump aboard three horses at Ascot's Kingston Town Classic Day this Saturday
Schofield’s prized mount at the meeting is on last-start WA Guineas winner King Saul as the three-year-old steps up to open-age company in the $500,000 Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
The 52kg lightweight of the 14-horse Kingston Town Classic 2011 field, King Saul is one of the top early fancies in the Luxbet markets for the final Group 1 race of the year currently paying $4.60 to upset the likes of controversial Railway Stakes winner Luckygray ($2.60) and the Grant Williams-trained Ranger ($4.20).
A Kingston Town Classic win aboard King Saul on Saturday would give Schofield his second thoroughbred major for the season following his success in the Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill with Manawanui back in August.
King Saul isn’t the only galloper Schofield will partner when he rides in Perth for the first time on Saturday.
Local Ascot trainer Dan Morton has also engaged Schofield’s services for his improving three-year-old filly Ningaloo Blitz.
Last seen running a brave fourth when beaten less than two lengths by King Saul in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m), Ningaloo Blitz is set to race in the $80,000 Listed Aquanita Stakes (1800m).
The Aquanita Stakes was last year won by subsequent Kingston Town Classic winner Playing God, Neville Parnham’s now four-year-old back on Saturday to defend their Kingston Town title, when it was run earlier during the Festival of Perth Racing.
Schofield’s third Ascot mount this weekend is aboard the John Thompson-trained, Patinack Farm-owned Sydney raider Saint Encosta in the $80,000 Listed Japan Racing Association Trophy (2200m).
Enocata De Lago five-year-old Saint Encosta has started 26 times to date but has only been first over the line on two occasions, most recently when beating home Chris Waller’s import Alexander of Hales in the Group 3 Randwick City Stakes (2120m) at Warwick Farm back in March.
After two disappointing first-up runs for the season at Randwick and then Flemington, Saint Encosta travelled to WA at the start of the month.
On November 19 they raced in the Listed Tattersall’s Cup (2100m) at Ascot when ridden by Craig Williams, but they only managed to beat home two of their rivals when 12th to New Spice.
After Saturday’s JRA Trophy, Saint Encosta is likely to stay on in WA for the $400,000 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) on New Year’s Eve.
There are a total of five black-type features running for Kingston Town Classic Day 2011.
Aside from the marquee event, the other headline race will be the $125,000 Group 3 A.J. Scahill Stakes (1400m) where David Harrison’s last-start Railway Stakes fourth placegetter Waratah’s Secret will defend their title.
Bookmark us here at Races.com.au to view all of the Ascot race fields and previews throughout the week.
Punters don’t have to wait to place their Kingston Town Classic bets, however, as our preferred online bookmaker Luxbet already have markets open on the final field.
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