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Last start CB Cox Stakes winning mare Perfect Reflection heads all-in Perth Cup 2016 odds despite her owner Bob Peters far from confirming a bid in the New Year’s Eve feature.
Grant & Alana Williams’ star More Than Ready four-year-old enjoyed her seventh career win at her 12th start last weekend taking out the traditional Perth Cup lead-up at Ascot Racecourse.
Winner of last summer’s Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) and third in the same feature this season, Perfect Reflection enjoyed a three-quarter length win in the Group 2 C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) after chasing down the tearaway leader Fathoms Of Gold in the dying seconds.
That was her longest-distanced win to date, but she could be stepped up in metres again on December 31 for a shot at the lucrative $500,000 Group 1 Perth Cup (2400m).
The second official 2016 Perth Cup after the mile and a half showdown also ran in January this year, markets at Ladbrokes.com.au pre-field have Perfect Reflection at $3 for the win.
Peters isn’t guaranteeing a Perth Cup start by the current favourite for the punters however, the prolific WA owner-breeder wary of her giving the weight away over the distance.
2016 Perth Cup weights were released by Racing and Wagering WA (RWWA) on Monday and Perfect Reflection was handed the 59kg top weight.
Her biggest rival according to all-in Perth Cup betting markets is Kia Ora Koutou ($3.20) who is very well-weighted in comparison with just 54kg.
“It’s still up in the air if she’ll start,” Peters, who chases a seventh Perth Cup victory, told The West Australian.
“She faces a difficult task to concede 5kg to Kia Ora Koutou.
“There’s also a 6kg turnaround against Ihtsahymn.”
Blackfriars four-year-old Kia Ora Koutou was last seen carrying 55kg to victory at Ascot on December 10 in the Listed JRA Trophy (2200m).
A $10 shot in the latest Perth Cup odds, the Fred Kersley-trained Ihtsahymn finished a length away third to Perfect Reflection in the weight-for-age CB Cox Stakes carrying 59kg.
The six-year-old will drop to 56kg for his Perth Cup bid.
“We also want to take Perfect Reflection’s condition into account,” Peters continued.
“Her progress will be monitored before the decision on a cup start.
“Final acceptances are not until early next week [on Tuesday], but our intentions on a start will be confirmed well before then.”
Peters won last season’s Perth Cup with class mare Delicacy who carried the 59kg to victory, a weight-carrying record for a female galloper in the race that Perfect Reflection will need to match should she run this summer.
Third in the last Perth Cup trifecta, the fellow Peters-raced mare Neverland is also in the mix again this season.
She had 54kg and William Pike aboard in the race last Perth Summer Racing Carnival, the now five-year-old daughter of Big Brown allocated the same kilos this time around.
Neverland hasn’t won a race since the Listed Carbine Club of WA Stakes (1400m) in November of 2015 and was last seen crossing eighth in the CB Cox Stakes.
Peters’ other hopes of three straight Perth Cup wins are fellow 54kg lightweights Star Exhibit and Dark Alert paying $11 and $13 respectively in the latest markets.
Neverland is at $10, tipped to enjoy the step up in trip, and is the only one of his crew confirmed as a final Perth Cup acceptor.
Star Exhibit and Dark Alert could earn a run if they perform well this weekend in the Listed ATA Stakes (2200m).
Peters other previous Perth Cup winners were Field Officer (1993), Crown Prosecutor (2005), Lords Ransom (2010), Western Jewel (Dec 2011), Real Love (2015) and of course the aforementioned Delicacy (Jan 2016).
Check out the futures Perth Cup 2016 betting markets online now at Ladbrokes.com.au before the odds firm with final acceptances next week.
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