WA’s Ascot Racecourse lights up for the first major Perth Summer Racing Carnival meeting this weekend headlined by the Railway Stakes 2015, betting tips for which are found below.

Delicacy is the Races.com.au tip to salute for the punters as the top fancy in Saturday’s 2015 Railway Stakes. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

A final field of 15 milers take to the track for Ascot Race 8 at 4:35pm (WA time) on Saturday for this year’s edition of the $1 million Group 1 James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) including race favourite Delicacy ($4.20).

Drawn wide in barrier 15 hasn’t stopped the country’s leading bookmaker Ladbrokes.com.au installing Grant Williams’s Al Maher mare at the top of Railway Stakes betting for her second-up run this time in.

She made her four-year-old debut on November 7 with a third in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) and now goes up to the mile for the third time at Ascot where she has won six from 11 over to date.

As a three-year-old last campaign Delicacy was in red hot form winning six straight black-type starts including the WA Oaks – WATC Derby double before back-to-back Group 1 victories in Adelaide taking out the Oaks – Derby double there also over 2000m and 2500m respectively.

Following Delicacy in the latest Railway Stakes odds for this weekend are the likes of Black Heart Bart ($5) coming off three straight wins this time in, Adam Durrant’s in-form mare Real Love ($5) and Good Project ($7.50) for Sydney’s best trainer Chris Waller.

So will the best in betting take it out or is there an upset Railway Stakes result on the agenda from a longer priced hope such as Team Hawkes’s Sydney raider Messene ($12) who has solid form over the mile or Dan Morton’s last start RJ Peters Stakes winner Hazzabeel ($10)?

1^st

#3 Delicacy ($4.20)

Think the bookies and Perth’s best hoop Pike have it spot-on with the dual Group 1 winner from last campaign. Pike opted for the ride on the favourite over the Perth Cup winner Real Love, and his judgement could be worth backing. Her first-up third in the Lee Steere was solid and that race has produced the past two Railway Stakes winners who both ran fourth as the beaten favourites, very close form to Delicacy’s this year. She is a six-time winner at the track and beat home the boys in the Derby during the autumn with Pike aboard, so even though she’s probably at her best over more distance, think second-up at a mile she’ll be hard to hold out.

2^nd

#5 Real Love ($5)

The other mare Pike could have jumped aboard could be the one to give the favourite the biggest run for her money. Good replacement with interstate hoop Damien Oliver taking the mount on Durrant’s daughter of Desert King who has run at a mile just once for a second, and has winning form up to 2400m. She, like Delicacy, is second-up on the weekend coming off the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) win from October 31. Has been a bit longer between runs but she is undefeated second-up (2-2-0-0) and only needs a touch of luck from her wide barrier (13).

3^rd

#1 Black Heart Bart ($5)

The lead-up form of Sigley’s consistent five-year-old is too hard to ignore. He has won all three of his starts including the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at the start of the month defeating a number of these. He has winning form only up to that distance so the mile is the challenge, his only previous 1600m start producing a third. That said, Glenn Smith retains the ride and barrier 11 is okay so long as he can rise to the challenge of the distance with the 58kg top weight.

If you think the bookies and the Races.com.au team have the Railway Stakes 2015 betting selections spot-on, head to Ladbrokes.com.au and enjoy Best Tote or SP + 20% on the race this Saturday!