Perth trainer Neville Parnham is confident that Playing God and God Has Spoken will both run better than their Railway Stakes odds suggest in the Group 1 event at Ascot this afternoon.
Neville Parnham rates Playing God a good chance in the Railway Stakes at Ascot this afternoon. Photo by: Taron Clarke
Playing God ($21) and God Has Spoken ($81) are both considered outsiders in Railway Stakes betting markets but Parnham is hopeful that can his gallopers can return to their best form and give him his maiden win in one of the only major races in Perth that he is yet to win.
Playing God will be having his third straight tilt at the Railway Stakes, finishing 14th in 2011 and fourth in 2012, and is heading into the Group 1 event in reasonable form after winning the Group 3 Northerly Stakes (1400m) and finishing an unlucky sixth behind Conservatorium in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot on November 9.
Parnham has been delighted with the son of Blackfriars performances so far this campaign and believes he is close to the form he was in when he competed at the highest level of racing, finishing third in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m), during the 2011 Spring Racing Carnival.
“I think he is going as well as he was two years ago,” Parnham told Perth Racing.
“I thought his Lee Steere Stakes run was as good as his Northerly Stakes win and I think that he is an excellent chance on Saturday.”
God Has Spoken has not been in as a form as his full brother and will need to improve significantly to record his first race win since his triumph over Kincaple and Ranger in the Group 2 Cox Stakes (2100m) just under two years ago.
The seven-year-old has missed the placings in the Northerly Stakes, Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) and Lee Steere Stakes this campaign but Parnham is hopeful that he can turn around his form in the Railway Stakes this afternoon.
“He ran a super race in last year’s Railway Stakes when he was probably underdone,” Parnham said.
Emirates Stakes runner-up Smokin’ Joey ($4.60) remains the favourite in 2013 Railway Stakes betting markets but there has been plenty of support for classy mare Longport ($5.50), while there has been a sprinkling of money for both Ranger ($18) and Mutual Trust ($10).
