Buffering Now Dominant Winterbottom Stakes

Buffering has been backed into 2015 Winterbottom Stakes odds of $2.50 and the veteran sprinter is set to start the Group 1 event at Ascot this afternoon as a dominant favourite.

Buffering has the chance to record a sixth win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Buffering has the chance to record a sixth win at Group 1 level in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes. Photo by: Ultimate Racing Photos

Buffering was available at a quote as long as $4.20 earlier in the week, but there has been consistent support for the five-time Group 1 winner, especially in the past 24 hours, and he is now an overwhelming favourite.

The Mossman gelding’s racing career looked at a crossroads after he was injured in the lead-up to the 2015 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, but he returned to the races with a typically gutsy win in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on October 2 and he was far from disgraced in both the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at the same venue on October 23 and the Group 1 Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 7.

Fast ‘N’ Rocking is the other eastern-state based horse in the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes field and he is currently on the second line of betting at a quote of $6.

The Fastnet Rock gelding started his 2015 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a fifth place finish in the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 15 and he did not have a lot of luck in the Listed The Cup Club Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 5 and the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 26 before he returned to winning form in the Listed Caulfield Village Stakes (1200m) on October 14.

Fast ‘N’ Rocking returned to Group 1 level in the Manikato Stakes and his impressive fourth place finish did more than enough to convince the Lindsay Park team that he was worthy of a trip to Perth for the 2015 Winterbottom Stakes.

Watermans Bay, Magnifisio and Lucky Street have been the best-backed local horse in the Winterbottom Stakes betting market with Ladbrokes and they are all available at $9.

Magnifisio and Watermans Bay fought out the finish in the Winterbottom Stakes last year and they both returned to the races with credible performances during the Perth Summer Racing Carnival to date, while Lucky Street took out the Perth Magic Millions Classic (1100m), Perth Stakes (1100m) and Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) as a two-year-old and he returned to winning form at Ascot on November 7.

Liberty’s Gem has remained steady at $26, while Shining Knight ($10 out to $11), Dawn Approach ($61 out to $81), Rommel ($26 out to $34), Madassa ($41 out to $51), Sujet ($41 out to $51), Cool Trade ($51 out to $71) and Silverstream ($10 out to $12) have all been on the drift.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.