A favourable barrier draw has seen early money come in for Perfect Reflection who now sits top of the 2016 Railway Stakes betting markets for the Perth classic this weekend.
Mackintosh is one of the top fancies in 2016 Railway Stakes betting for the Perth Group 1 win this weekend at Ascot. Photo: Daniel Costello.
The Grant & Alana Williams-trained daughter of More Than Ready is one of a full field of milers facing off in Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot Racecourse.
She came up trumps with barrier 2 in Tuesday’s Railway Stakes barrier draw and has regular rider William Pike continuing associations.
Pike rode the Railway Stakes winner Elite Belle (2014) to victory in the race two years ago for the stable and is back to do it again on another in-form mare this Perth Summer Racing Carnival.
Perfect Reflection has been backed in from $6 to $5 in the Railway Stakes odds at Ladbrokes.com.au and comes off a good win in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at the track from November 5.
Her worst result from five runs at Ascot was a third place effort first-up, the four-year-old having won all other starts at the course including last summer’s Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
Perfect Reflection also looks very well-weighted on Saturday dropping from 57kg last start to 54.5kg in the Railway Stakes 2016.
The last Railway Stakes favourite to salute for the punters was Luckgray ($4 in 2011).
Since then two 20/1 shots have scored an upset Railway Stakes result, while the two latest winners both started at $6.
Following closely in the updated Railway Stakes betting markets currently at that $6 price this year is the Chris Waller-trained Mackintosh drawn wider in barrier 16, possibly into 13 if the three emergencies fail to gain a start.
Damien Oliver is over in W.A. for the Railway Stakes ride on the Pins four-year-old whose last start produced the close fifth to Le Romain when beaten only 1.4 lengths at Flemington in the Group 1 Cantala Stakes (1600m) on Derby Day.
That followed on from a first-up win in Rosehill’s Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) and a close third only a quarter-length beaten by the winner Hauraki in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick.
Mackintosh has winning form up to 2200m but is yet to win over a mile.
Waller also saddles-up the reigning Railway Stakes winner Good Project who pays $14 to go back-to-back with Hugh Bowman riding the defending champ from gate seven.
Occupying the third line of betting at $7.50 meanwhile is last start winning Victorian visitor Rageese in gate 11 with Damian Lane in the saddle.
Darren Weir’s four-year-old Street Cry stallion enjoyed a Flemington win on Oaks Day in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) and is out over a mile this weekend for the first time since his fifth to Press Statement in the 2015 Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m).
Rounding out the single-figure fancies in Railway Stakes betting this season is Scales Of Justice ($8.50) on the quick back-up and chasing three wins on the trot.
Lindsey Smith’s flying Not A Single Doubt four-year-old has a strong Ascot record of three wins and two seconds from five starts at the track including last weekend’s Group 3 R.J. Peters Stakes (1500m).
That race last produced a Railway Stakes winner in 2008, while the last horse to complete the R.J. Peters Stakes – Railway Stakes double was El Presidente (2007) 12 months earlier.
See below for the latest Railway Stakes 2016 betting odds – markets provided by Ladbrokes.com.au.
