Races

Digby Beacham’s Ascot Feature Rankings

Posted on | Posted by Digby Beacham

PLACID ARK STAKES (1200m) – November 12

1. BABY PARIS

Hard to poke holes in this filly’s record. Only once has she been beaten — at 1200m in a Karrakatta Plate at the hands of a horse called Amelia’s Jewel! Rides the speed and 1200m is not an issue. This has been a target race all the way through and at this stage, everything has gone to plan.

2. AZTEC RULER

Created an impression in the winter when winning both his starts on a Saturday. Needs to do it as a three-year-old and will hit the race first-up. Difficult not to be impressed by his change of gears as a juvenile. Dismiss the unplaced trial recently.

3. RUMOUR SAYS

I really like this filly. Desperately unlucky in the Belgravia Stakes last weekend. Had she seen daylight, she would have been in the money. Having not trialled before her first-up run, it’s fair to assume her best is yet to come. Can win.

4. ALL SHOW

If you like her chances in a fortnight, it might pay to invest before tomorrow where she is going around in the Placid Ark Prelude and is the horse they need to beat. Has wonderful point-to-point speed. Can she harness her energy and run a strong 1200m?

5. LACED UP HEELS

Terrific in the Crown Perth 3YO Classic and then backed up in style, coming from a rearward position to salute as a heavily supported favourite over 1000m against the older horses. Not many have made ground at Ascot this season. Will play a part if she switches back after Tuesday’s Burgess Queen Stakes.

WA GUINEAS (1600m) – November 19

1. AMELIA’S JEWEL

If this boom filly stretches her winning sequence to five on Tuesday in the Burgess Queen Stakes, trainer Simon Miller has a decision to make. The WA Champion Fillies Stakes or WA Guineas? Or both? Four of the past five Guineas winners have been fillies and it would take a brave person to suggest she can’t have her name on the honour roll.

2. BUSTLER

How good are Neville Parnham’s three-year-olds? In a word, outstanding. And this bloke is the top of the pops. He is about to enter black-type company for the first time, but he is a perfect three from three and has been beating up on the older horses. A live hope.

3. SNOWDOME

The juicy price on offer about this colt comes about because punters are still undecided as to what his best trip is. Is he a sprinter or a sprinter-miler? He does appear to rev a bit high, but is all class. The first-up win over 1000m was awesome. Respect him wherever he starts.

4. ALL THE KING’S MEN

Has looked like a WA Guineas contender from very early in his career. Was runner-up in the WA Sires’ Produce Stakes behind Snowdome and has come back a more furnished individual. Covers the ground beautifully and appears as if he will lap up the mile.

5. SWEAR TO GOD

Finding this fellow hard to assess. Like Snowdome, jury is out on whether he is better over the shorter distances or will be effective at 1600m. What is not up for debate is his talent levels. They are high. A last-start 66+ winner, his preparation will become clearer after he contests the Fairetha Stakes (1400m).

RAILWAY STAKES (1600m) – November 19

1. AYRTON

It’s bloody hard to win the Railway Stakes if you aren’t in Perth. That is why this very good horse is the price he is. Mick Price has indicated he would like to bring him west. The five-year-old appreciates firm ground and would get here fresh, with the Railway being only his fourth start of the campaign. He’s worth a spec bet.

2. DEVOTED

Was all the rage before having genuine excuses fresh. Thought he actually stuck to his guns okay all things considered. No favours from the gate tomorrow in the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m), but if he wins and books a Railway spot, the $11 will disappear like last week’s pay.

3. TUVALU

Ultra-consistent gelding who is a last-start winner of the Toorak Handicap — a Group 1 race which just so happens to be over the Railway distance. That was achieved however with 53.5kg. He is going to have his share of weight, but Lindsey Smith knows what is required to win the race. Has a racing pattern ideally suited to Ascot.

4. ALASKAN GOD

Stormed to a WA Derby victory in the autumn after sweeping all before him in a five-start campaign that had tongues wagging. Has been well supported in the Asian Beau Stakes, which he hits fresh off no trial. Like Devoted, is yet to book a Railway berth but is clearly one of the more exciting horses in this State.

5. TRIX OF THE TRADE

In fear of sounding like a broken record, is another local hope firm in the all-in market that is yet to secure a start in the Railway. It might not eventuate as time is running out, but it would be terrific to see Trix Of The Trade, Alaskan God and Devoted square off in the Group 1 handicap. The first-up win over 1400m was breathtaking considering he carried 61kg.

WINTERBOTTOM STAKES (1200m) – November 26

1. ELITE STREET

I’m of the view that Elite Street is the best horse in the State so he has to go on top in a race he won in devastating fashion in 2020 and was perhaps unlucky not to win 12 months ago. Lethal fresh and proven at WFA. His return in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) will give us a guide on how he’s tracking.

2. ROTHFIRE

Already a Group 1 winner, it must be remembered that he started as a raging odds-on favourite in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) as a three-year-old only for things to go wrong. Has since returned in fine order and was not disgraced when second last Saturday in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

3. PAULELE

Getting a handle on where this four-year-old entire sits is a difficult one. Godolphin have been wonderful supporters of our carnival previously and they are understandably desperate to land a Group 1 so Paulele can have a future at stud. His best is very good, as evidenced by back-to-back runner-up finishes at the elite level in Queensland earlier this year.

4. MISS CONTEKI

If you want to invest in horses you can trust, it’s safe to assume Miss Conteki is a horse you have an affinity with. Her record is imposing, courtesy of a turn of foot not many other horses in WA possess. She is a dynamite 1000m commodity, with the win in the Crawford Stakes a fortnight ago another example of her talent levels. Has to do it at WFA and at 1200m.

5. RED CAN MAN

I honestly think this bloke is the forgotten horse. Has returned home after a few starts in Victoria during the early part of the spring where he wasn’t disgraced. If Elite Street is the favourite for the Winterbottom, Red Can Man has to be considered. Beaten a nose by Dan Morton’s charge in the Northam Stakes and just over half a length by the same horse in the Roma Cup — a 1200m weight-for-age sprint. Sound familiar?

NORTHERLY STAKES (1800m) – December 3

1. ALASKAN GOD

I’ll put my hand up here. I have found this race the hardest of the four $1.5 million features of The Pinnacles to assess. Three-year-olds have a wonderful record in the weight-for-age assignment, but are the likes of Amelia’s Jewel and Bustler locks to arrive here? This bloke will be aimed up at the Northerly and the 1800m holds no fears. Has X-factor and an ability to cover opponents quickly.

2. AMELIA’S JEWEL

If the filly just so happens to take out this race and deliver trainer Simon Miller Group 1 success, we will look back and say the $3.80 on offer was a great price. For mine, it’s on the skinny side. That said, Amelia’s Jewel could well be a freak — if she isn’t already. Yet to taste defeat and could conceivably be unbeaten from six starts entering the Northerly.

3. BUSTLER

There will be a great story to tell if Bustler can walk in the footsteps of his father Playing God and win the Northerly. Playing God, ridden by Steven Parnham and trained by his father Neville, won the old Kingston Town Classic on two occasions and if Bustler makes his way to the 1800m feature, he will be extremely firm in the market. His ceiling looks extremely high.

4. CASCADIAN

If you know for sure that Cascadian is heading west, quickly and quietly take the $12 on offer. This bloke is flying. Is a multiple Group 1 winner and recently ran fourth to I’m Thunderstruck in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). That preceded two effortless wins over 2000m and 1800m at Group 2 and Group 3 level respectively. The only knock? Has won just two of his 20 starts on good tracks.

5. DEVOTED

Many good judges believe he is capable of winning a Railway Stakes. It certainly wouldn’t be a shock should he gain a start, possibly as early as tomorrow. If that is the case, you won’t be seeing $17 for much longer. Was a standout performer in the winter and speculation is rife that William Pike could be his rider very soon.

THE GOLD RUSH (1400m) – December 10

1. KISSONALLFORCHEEKS

Having her as the No.1 seed might be fraught with danger given she is going to be arriving back in WA at the tail-end of a Victorian campaign that has already consisted of four starts, five if she runs in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) tomorrow. But she appreciates good ground and Dan Morton knows her better than anyone. Is a proven weight-for-age performer.

2. ROTHFIRE

A big price this. Rothfire is a Group 1 winner at 1400m as a two-year-old and earlier this year ran third in the Group 1 Stradbroke over the distance of the Gold Rush behind Alligator Blood and Private Eye. Trainer Robert Heathcote believes the 1400m might just be his pet distance. Fingers crossed he arrives safe and sound and plays a part in both the Winterbottom and Gold Rush.

3. ELITE STREET

In all likelihood, will hit this race third-up. Is he able to stretch out to the seven furlongs and prevail? On what we have seen previously, you are entitled to have your doubts. He ran seventh in last year’s Group 3 Belmont Sprint (1400m) at weight-for-age at his only run beyond 1200m. If Dan Morton elects to go to this race though, pay close attention.

4. KEMENTARI

Special K is a polarising individual. His best is terrific, yet on more than one occasion he has proven extremely camera shy. We saw him reinvigorate his career over here two years ago with a three-start campaign that yielded a 1400m weight-for-age win in the AJ Scahill Stakes after running third in the Lee-Steere Stakes (1400m). His form of late has been sound also.

5. TUVALU

Has not finished out of the money from 13 starts and has been aimed at a trip west from a trainer with a proven formula for success at Ascot. That in itself should be enough to justify having Tuvalu among the contenders. The weight-for-age could prove a stretch, but he is racing in career-best form.

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