This Saturday April 2, Ascot Racecourse will come to life with the 2011 WATC Derby Day featuring a quality line-up of races including the $200,000 Group 3 W.A. Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

While the $3.5 million Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday is the elite juveniles’ showdown of the year, the 2011 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes has also drawn a final field of nine quality two-year-olds.

Early favourite for this year’s WA Sires’ Produce Stakes is #1 Benny’s Halo.

The Neville Smith-trained Benicio gelding is yet to finish out of the money in their four career starts that have produced two wins and two second placings.

Drawn ideally in barrier three for Saturday and due to be ridden by regular jockey Jeffrey Berry, Benny’s Halo is coming off two second place finishes at stakes level this month.

Most recently the promising two-year-old finished a head away from Night War in the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m), the ideal form leading into his easier assignment in the Sires’ Produce on Saturday.

The only last-start winner in the WA Sires’ Produce Stakes field and possible danger to Benny’s Halo is #7 Bliss Street.

Drawn in the far outside barrier nine, Flying Spur filly Bliss Street is coming off a 1 ½ length victory in the Westpeed 2YO Plate at this track and distance on March 23 and she will again be ridden by champion Perth jockey William Pike.

Saturday’s Ascot meet is shaping up as a beauty for Pike who also has the mount on $3 favourite in the $500,000 Group 1 WATC Derby (2400m), Dreamaway.

Prominent local trainer Lou Luciani will be represented by two of his up-and-coming runners in the WA Sires’ Produce this year with Lethal Jones (barrier six) and Valley Girl (barrier two).

The 2011 W.A. Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) is scheduled as Ascot Race 5 for Saturday and is due to jump at 6:20pm (AEDST).

Stay tuned to Races.com.au to view a complete WATC Derby Day race programme and our exclusive Ascot track and betting tips for Saturday to be published shortly.

2011 W.A. Sires’ Produce Stakes Field, Barriers & Weights

Ascot Race 5 – 2/04/2011

#	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight (kg)
1	BENNY’S HALO	Neville Smith	Jeffrey Berry	3	56
2	LETHAL JONES	Lou Luciani	Jason Brown	6	56
3	SINGLE SPICE	Simon A Miller	Peter Knuckey	8	54
4	VALLEY GIRL	Lou Luciani	Jason Whiting	2	54
5	IN EDEN’S HONOUR	Jeremy Easthope	Damian Lane (a)	7	54
6	SAXABELLE	Trevor Andrews	Shaun O’Donnell	5	54
7	BLISS STREET	Daniel Morton	William Pike	9	54
8	BIM BOM BAY	Joe Byrne	Paul Harvey	1	54
9	PUBLIC PERCEPTION	Craig Wright	Troy Turner	4	54