No Rageese in 2016 Winterbottom Stakes Field

Railway Stakes scratching Rageese will head back to Victoria and won’t be a runner in the Group 1 $1m Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Malaguerra, above is one of the main fancies in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Steve Hart.

Malaguerra, above is one of the main fancies in the Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Steve Hart.

The Darren Weir trained Rageese was a race morning withdrawal from the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot last Saturday after he was found to be lame.

Weir’s Warrnambool stable foreman Jarrod McLean said Rageese had recovered quickly and consideration was given to starting him in the weight for age sprint this weekend.

But with further consultation, it was decided that the four year old would be sent back to Weir’s Victorian stables as soon as transport could be arranged.

“He’ll probably go home Monday or Tuesday night,” McLean told The West Australian.

“Darren thinks he isn’t suited at weight-for-age. He doesn’t meet the others well at the weights.

“It was disappointing what happened on Saturday, but those things happen in racing.”

The final field for the Winterbottom Stakes has attracted twelve runners with the Joe Pride trained Terravista to carry the number one saddlecloth with Hugh Bowman to ride.

Bowman rode the Chris Waller trained Good Project into second place behind Scales Of Justice in the Railway Stakes before flying to Hong Kong to claim the Group 2 HK$4m Jockey Club Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday on the John Moore trained Not Listenin’tome.

Trainer Gary Moore is hoping his sprinter Takedown can gain an invitation for the Group 1 HK$18.5m Longines Hong Kong Sprint 1200m at Sha Tin on December 11 by winning the Winterbottom Stakes with Tim Clark to ride.

“It’s probably a tough ask to go to Hong Kong after Perth but we’ll see if he gets an invite and see what happens this weekend,’’ Stable representative Marc Chevalier said.

“It looks a good place for a horse that likes to lead and so we go into Saturday’s race with a bit of confidence that he’ll run well.’’

Takedown was two time winner at Randwick at the start of his Spring Carnival campaign with victories in the Group 2 $200,000 The Bowermans Office Furniture The Shorts (1100m) on September 17 and in the Group 2 $300,000 Premiere Stakes (1200m) on October 1.

Takedown then had two starts in Melbourne for a second to Voodoo Lad in the Group 3 $150,000 Ladbrokes Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on October 15 followed by a fifth to Rageese in the Group 3 $200,000 L’Oreal Paris Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Crown Oaks Day.

Ben Melham gets the mount again on Malaguerra in the Winterbottom Stakes after the pair combined to win the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 5.

The Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig will saddle up two runners in the Winterbottom Stakes, Keen Array and Sheidel.

Chris Parnham gets the mount on Keen Array who is coming off a last start seventh to Malaguerra in the Darley Classic while Damien Oliver takes over from Blake Shinn on Sheidel who beat her stablemate home when fifth in the Darley Classic.

Leading Perth jockey William Pike will ride the up and coming local sprinter State Solicitor who is the winner of six of his seven race start but is facing a huge step up in class coming of a last start win in a 1200m BenchMark 72+ Handicap at Ascot on November 12.

Singapore based Corey Brown will fly into Perth to partner the Darren McAuliffe trained Military Reign who will also find this a lot tougher than his last start eighth in the Group 3 $150,000 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on November 12.

The Final field for the Winterbottom Stakes: 1 Terravista (Hugh Bowman), 2 Malaguerra (Ben Melham), 3 Takedown (Tim Clark), 4 Rock Magic (Jarrad Noske), 5 Keen Array (Chris Parnham), 6 First Among Equals (Brad Parnham), 7 Battle Hero (Glenn Smith), 8 Vega Magic (Jake Casey), 9 Regal Commander (Peter Hall), 10 State Solicitor (William Pike), 11 Sheidel (Damien Oliver), 12 Military Reign (Corey Brown).

The barrier draw for the Winterbottom Stakes will be drawn at a private function to be held at the Crown Perth Entertainment Complex on Tuesday November 22nd at 4pm.

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.