2012 Railway Stakes Form Guide & Betting Preview

This Saturday Perth’s richest race will take place at Ascot Racecourse with the Railway Stakes 2012 set to light up the track, and below the crew at Races.com.au have published a comprehensive Railway Stakes form guide and betting analysis four our readers.

The time-honored handicap has $1 million in total prize money on offer and is due to run as Ascot Race 9 at 4:35pm (local time) over the mile with a full field of 16 starters plus two emergencies engaged.

With a defending champion, multiple Group 1 winners, four interstate raiders, three last start winners and plenty of talent in the Railway Stakes field for 2012 there is certainly a lot for the punters to take in.

Can Luckygray go back-to-back after winning the race 12 months ago on protest?

Will Gai Waterhouse’s Sydney raider Fat Al return to their Epsom Handicap winning form and score another elite level?

Is the RJ Peters Stakes winner Maschino a genuine chance for an upset with the punters coming for them in the early Railway Stakes odds?

Don’t place an ill-informed wager on the Perth major this weekend.

Get the essential Railway Stakes facts, facts and form guide stats below courtesy of Races.com.au and back a winner online at bookmaker.com.au.

2012 Railway Stakes Facts & Form Stats

Last year’s winner Luckygray was second past the post but won on protest on the back of a win in the Asian Beau Stakes, jumping from barrier 12 (of 16) with 53kg and Shaun O’Donnell in the saddle

Horse Racing Tip #1 Luckygray is out to become just the second multiple Railway Stakes winner in history
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This year #1 Luckygray ($4) is back looking to become just the second multiple Railway Stakes winner in history joining Miss Muffet (1987-88) coming off a win in the Lee Steere Stakes, drawn in gate 12 (into 10 with emergencies out) with O’Donnell in the saddle again but this time carrying the 58kg topweight
If successful #1 Luckgray will become the second horse in the past decade to win the Lee Steere Stakes – Railway double along with El Presidente (2007)
One thing against #1 Luckygray (58kg) on Saturday however is that top-weights have a poor recent record in the race with Snipers Bullet (56.5kg in 2009) having carried the most weight to victory since the metric system came in
The above fact also rules out #2 Fat Al, #3 Playing God and #4 Wall Street who are all allocated 57kg
#14 Ranger ($6) meanwhile is the shortest-priced of the 53kg light-weights this year
#6 Westriver Kevydonn ($19) will look to complete the same Asian Beau Stakes – Railway Stakes double as Luckygray did 12 months ago however they contested the Lee Steere Stakes in between running fifth to Luckygray; Luckgray was the third horse in the past decade to complete the double along with Gilded Venom (2008) and El Presidente (2007)
With emergencies out last year’s winning gate will belong to #15 Rosie Rocket ($18) who will be ridden by star Aussie hoop Glen Boss
There are three last-start winners in the mix with #1 Luckygray (Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes, 1400m, Ascot, 10/11/2012), #11 Maschino (Group 3 RJ Peters Stakes, 1500m, Ascot, 17/11/2012) and #12 Mr Moet (Group 3 Strickland Stakes, 200m, Belmont Park, 07/07/2012)
Before Luckygray the other most recent Railway Stakes winner was Sydney visitor Gathering (2010) and this year four interstate visitors have been accepted for with #2 Fat Al ($7), #4 Wall Street ($11), #5 Yosei ($15) and first emergency #17 Shamardashing ($51)
#1 Luckygray ($4) boasts the highest Win Rate of the field with 68.75% followed by #2 Fat Al (54.55%) and #12 Mr Moet (43.48%)
The best Place Percentage then belongs to #2 Fat Al ($7) with 81.82% followed by #1 Luckygray (75.00%) and #12 Mr Moet (69.57%)
Four-year-olds have the best record in the Railway Stakes with 22 winners in the past 52 editions of the race including Luckygray 12 months ago; there are only two 4YO’s in the mix this year with #2 Fat Al and #10 King Saul ($17)
Geldings have won nine of the past 11 Railway Stakes (including Luckgray in 2011); 13 of the 18 acceptors are geldings but #2 Fat Al and #10 King Saul are the only four-year-old geldings that are statistically the best age and sex to win
Last year Luckygray was the only four-year-old gelding in the Railway Stakes
Horses with the best record at the Track are #1 Luckygray (10-7-1-0), #3 Playing God (12-6-3-1), #6 Westriver Kevydonn (8-5-0-1), #10 King Saul (7-4-0-1), #11 Maschino (10-4-1-2), #12 Mr Moet (7-4-1-1), #14 Ranger (16-4-3-4) and #15 Rosie Rocket (13-5-2-0)
Six horses meanwhile have won over the Track & Distance with #15 Rosie Rocket (4-2-0-0), #14 Ranger (3-1-0-1), #11 Maschino (1-1-0-0), #10 King Saul (1-1-0-0), #3 Playing God (2-1-0-0) and the favourite #1 Luckygray (1-1-0-0)

Stay tuned to Races.com.au to view our exclusive Railway Stakes tips to be published shortly.

Think you’ve already uncovered the winning Railway Stakes trifecta based on the above facts and stats?

Head along to our preferred online bookie bookmaker.com.au to back your favourites at the hottest prices, or Pick Your Own Odds with their exclusive markets on all the Perth races this weekend!

2012 Railway Stakes Field & Form Guide

Ascot Race 9 – 4:35pm (local time) – 24/11/2012

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Br.	Wgt.	AS	Days	API	Career	W%	P%	Last 6
1.	LUCKYGRAY	G P Poletti	Shaun O’Donnell	12	58	5yoG	14	$79,723	16: 11 1 0	68.75%	75.00%	111401
2.	FAT AL	Ms G Waterhouse	Nash Rawiller	4	57	4yoG	14	$59,659	11: 6 2 1	54.55%	81.82%	1×2310
3.	PLAYING GOD	N D Parnham	Steven Parnham	2	57	5yoH	14	$52,542	28: 7 4 6	25.00%	60.71%	46×730
4.	WALL STREET	M D Moroney	Kerrin Mc Evoy	16	57	8yoG	14	$42,788	37: 11 4 2	29.73%	45.95%	60×735
5.	YOSEI	S J Webb	Michael Rodd	18	55	5yoM	14	$39,738	31: 4 1 3	12.90%	25.81%	678304
6.	WESTRIVER KEVYDONN	Ms P Kenney	Patrick Carbery	6	54	7yoG	14	$18,066	23: 8 1 6	34.78%	65.22%	19×815
7.	LORDS RANSOM	Grant Williams	Joe Bowditch	15	53.5	9yoG	14	$31,066	28: 11 0 2	39.29%	46.43%	9511×9
8.	BATTLE EMBLEM	Grant Williams	Jason Whiting	7	53	9yoG	7	$9,307	60: 10 7 7	16.67%	40.00%	957×09
9.	GOD HAS SPOKEN	N D Parnham	Brad Parnham	1	53	6yoH	14	$22,715	43: 8 7 0	18.60%	34.88%	000×02
10.	KING SAUL	T M Andrews	Corey Brown	13	53	4yoG	14	$43,585	10: 4 0 1	40.00%	50.00%	080×10
11.	MASCHINO	G J Yuill	Jarrad Noske	9	53	5yoH	7	$14,321	19: 7 2 3	36.84%	63.16%	3×2321
12.	MR MOET	A G Durrant	Daniel Staeck	5	53	5yoG	140	$17,051	23: 10 4 2	43.48%	69.57%	32111x
13.	NIBLICK	T M Andrews	Shaun Mc Gruddy	8	53	6yoG	7	$15,919	17: 6 3 1	35.29%	58.82%	10×662
14.	RANGER	Grant Williams	William Pike	10	53	6yoG	259	$24,256	22: 6 3 5	27.27%	63.64%	23560x
15.	ROSIE ROCKET	J T Warwick	Glen Boss	14	53	6yoM	14	$11,829	29: 9 5 3	31.03%	58.62%	323×42
16.	ZESTER	D L Morton	Glenn Smith	17	53	6yoG	14	$7,958	35: 9 2 9	25.71%	57.14%	7×5358
17.	SHAMARDASHING	John Thompson	Not Notified	3	53	6yoG	14	$9,462	32: 8 2 3	25.00%	40.63%	4041×6
18.	OUR OL’ FELLA	S J Wolfe	Not Notified	11	53	6yoG	14	$10,068	46: 9 9 5	19.57%	50.00%	444844