Luckygray firms into favouritism for Kingston Town Classic

Western Australia’s favourite racehorse Luckygray has firmed into favouritism for the Group 1 $500,000 TAB Touch – Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot on December 7 after winning his second Railway Stakes at Ascot last Saturday.

Luckygray is new favourite for the Kingston Town Classic

Luckygray is the new favourite for the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.

In a stunning form reversal, Luckygray was able to turn around a disappointing Melbourne Spring Carnival to produce a stunning finish to win his second Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught – Railway Stakes (1600m) after gaining the race on protest two years earlier.

Bookies have reacted quickly and have wound Luckygray into $3 favourite to win his second Kingston Town Classic after beating Mr Moet twelve months ago.

Mr Moet is also heading towards the Kingston Classic after finishing seventh in the Railway Stakes and has been marked the second pick at $4.

The Adan Durrant trained six year old is also recovering from a Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign which saw him run fourth to Side Glance in the Group 1 $1m Longines Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 2 at his last run before returning home to Perth.

Luckygray grabbed the attention of Perth racegoers back in 2011 under the care of local trainer Gino Poloetti as he worked his way up through the classes before winning his first Railway Stakes in a very controversial protest decision.

The Bradbury’s Luck gelding then went on to win last year’s Kingston Town Classic before being transferred to Melbourne trainer Robert Smerdon for the this year’s Melbourne Spring Carnival where he was unplaced from four starts.

After failing to fire in Melbourne, connections decided to return to Perth with Trevor Andrews given the task of preparing the grey for the Festival Of Perth Racing.

‘I’m over the moon to get a result with him. I thought the Kingston Town in two weeks was his race but this horse is just a gun and 58kg is just a feather on his back,’ Andrews told The Daily Telegraph after his win on Saturday.

”If we succeeded well it was good luck to you and if you failed, well, the horse was tired and you should have spelled him.”

”Without being negative I thought they rode him too positive and he was over racing in Melbourne. Blind Freddy can see he needs to do nothing early and finish on.”

Winning jockey Shaun O’Donnell was happy to be back aboard Luckygray after being his regular rider in Perth before he went to the eastern states.

”He looked shocking when he came back from Melbourne but he showed he’s back,” O’Donnell said.

”He switched right off today and I just kept pinching runs. I saw Playing God really running into it, so I got in behind him and when he got balanced he just gunned it,” O’Donnell said after the win.

Three year old Ihtsahymn was also a big firmer for the Kingston Town Classic after winning the Group 2 $400,000 Sky Racing-W.A. Guineas (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday.

Ihtsahymn is now a marked at $7 just ahead of $8 chance Playing God who finished a solid fifth in the in the Railway Stakes.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.