Flemington Group 3 winner Plucky Belle will head to Perth for the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught – Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 23 after connections paid the $22,000 late entry fee for the Summer Carnival feature race.

Plucky Belle has earned herself a trip to Perth for the Railway Stakes. Photo by Steve Hart.

Plucky Belle will join stable mate Moment Of Change who will head trainer Peter Moody’s Perth contingent this summer as he heads towards the Group 1 $500,000 Crown Perth – Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on the same day.

Plucky Belle scored her most important win to date by taking out the Group 3 $200,000 Lavazza Short Black (1400m) at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day and earned herself a trip to the west and a chance to show her wears at Group 1 level.

“She won well and this is her chance to win a Group 1,” Moody told the thewest.com.au.

“If she comes through the next week well she’ll be there.”

The Mossman mare put the writing on the wall with a second to Diamond Earth in the Group 3 $125,000 City Tattersalls Club Nivison (1200m) at Randwick on October 19 before coming out and scoring at Flemington at the good odds of $17.

Plucky Belle’s win on Melbourne Cup day, her fourth from sixteen starts, took her earnings to over $260,000 as well as earning extra valuable black type credentials.

The five year old joins the Wez Hunter trained Smokin’ Joey who was also paid up for as a late entry for the Railway Stakes after finding the best form of his career over the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

At his first start for Hunter, Smokin’ Joey was able to win the Group 3 $200,000 TAB.com.au Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Derby Day then came out a week later to go down by a head to the Chris Waller trained Boban in the Group 1 $1m Emirates Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday.

Smokin’ Joey’s Emirates Stakes runner’s up cheque of $180,000 took his earnings to over $670,000 for five wins and six seconds from thirty-two starts.