Last Saturday’s Queen’s Cup winner Real Love shot to the top of the market order for the Group 2 $500,000 Golden River Developments Perth Cup (2400m) at Ascot on New Year’s Day following her tough staying performance.
Elite Belle ran third to Moriarty, above winning the Eagle Farm Cup, in the Group 1 Kingston Town Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Steve Hart.
Real Love showed her staying ability during the Perth Autumn Carnival and once again shone stepping up to the 2200m of the Group 3 $100,000 Queen’s Cup (2200m) at Ascot on the weekend.
The lightly raced Adam Durrant trained mare was placed twice over 2400m in the Perth Classics in the Autumn with a second to Balmont Girl in the Group 3 $250,000 W.A. Oaks and then finished third behind Respondent and Ihtsahymn in the Group 2 $400,000 Schweppes W.A.T.C. Derby at Ascot.
“She will raise the bar for the stayers. She’s got a few lengths on these,” Durrant said after Saturday’s win.
Prominent Perth owners Bob and Sandra Peters have had plenty of success over the Festival Of Perth Racing including the win of Elite Belle in the Group 1 $1m Carlton Draught-Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 22.
Elite Belle was again in the prizemoney with a third to Moriarty in the Group 1 $500,000 TAB Touch – Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot last Saturday and Peters is uncertain if his two mares will clash in the Group 2 $250,000 LD Total – C.B. Cox Stakes (2100m) at Ascot on December 20.
“I’ll toss up on that later on,” Peters told The West Australian.
“We’ll have Elite Belle for the Cox Stakes anyway. Respondent will possibly go to the St Leger, but I’m not sure yet.
“Real Love and Real Charm were very good on Saturday. Real Love was hard and fit and she really trimmed up from her previous run.”
Durrant and Peters had a successful day last Saturday, wrapping up a winning double with Real Charm taking out the Listed $100,000 Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) for the fillies and mares.
Real Love is now a clear cut $2.50 favourite for the Perth Cup ahead of Balmont Girl at $5.50 with the Justin Warwick trained Son Of Something a $11 chance after running second to Real Love in the Queen’s Cup.
Queen’s Cup third placegetter Ask Me Nicely is next in the betting at $13 ahead of Respondent and Bass Strait at $14, Red Blast and Pop Culture at $15 and Mr Moet and Real Charm at $16.
