Last year‘s winner Viddora is included in the final field for the 2018 Group 1 $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Viddora, above, is set to defend her title in the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Viddora, above, is set to defend her title in the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Viddora claimed her first Group 1 trophy with an emphatic win in the 2017 Winterbottom Stakes and Caulfield trainer Lloyd Kennewell is confident he has the mare in the same condition as she prepares to defend her title in the fifteen horse field.

“Everything is progressing well,” Kennewell told the Herald Sun.

“She’s been going really well and we’ll tick off the days until Saturday.”

“Go into a Group 1, everything needs to go to according to plan.”

“They don’t give them away. There’s still a fair bit to unfold.

“But if she runs as well as she did last year, she’s going to be hard to beat.”

Jockey Joe Bowditch, who relocated from Adelaide to Melbourne this year when Kennewell made the same move, has been Viddora’s regular rider throughout her career and will be aboard again in Saturday’s weight for age Winterbottom Stakes.

Bowditch has been aboard Viddora for her two Group 1 wins and as well as last year’s Winterbottom Stakes victory, the pair combined for a win in the Group 1 $500,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 28.

Viddora has had plenty of time to get over her unplaced run on a heavy track when tenth of twelve behind Redzel in the $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 13 and will go into Saturday’s feature Ascot Racing Carnival sprint as the one to beat again.

Dual Group 1 winner Malaguerra heads up the fifteen horse Winterbottom Stakes field and heads to Ascot with one recent run under his belt when twelfth in his first run for almost a year in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley on October 26.

Trainer Darren Weir will saddle up Voodoo Lad in the Winterbottom Stakes with Damien Oliver booked to ride and the seven year old is coming off a last start eighth to stablemate Brave Smash in the Maniakto Stakes.

Betting for the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3 Viddora, $5.50 Enticing Star, $9 Malaguerra, $10 Runson, Voodoo Lad, $12 I’ll Have A Bit, $14 Dainty Tess, $15 Durendal, $17 Ashlor, $18 Malibu Style, $34 Valour Road, $41 Belter, Profit Street, $61 Seannie, $81 Rebel King. 

 

Final Field for the 2018 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m)

# Horse Wgt Rtg Rider Trainer
1 MALAGUERRA 58.5 m111 PETER GELAGOTIS
2 VOODOO LAD 58.5 m109 DAMIEN OLIVER DARREN WEIR
3 DURENDAL 58.5 m105 SHAUN MC GRUDDY CHRIS GANGEMI
4 REBEL KING 58.5 m100 DARREN MC AULIFFE
5 MALIBU STYLE 58.5 m101 STEVEN PARNHAM NEVILLE PARNHAM
6 PROFIT STREET 58.5 m96 MITCHELL PATEMAN PETER & MATT GIADRESCO
7 ASHLOR 58.5 m97 DANIEL STACKHOUSE DAN MCCARTHY
8 RUNSON 58.5 m97 STEPHEN BASTER LEON & TROY CORSTENS
9 BELTER 58.5 m92 PATRICK CARBERY SEAN CASEY
10 VIDDORA 56.5 m109 JOE BOWDITCH LLOYD KENNEWELL
11 DAINTY TESS 56.5 m105 PAUL HARVEY DANIEL MORTON
12 I’LL HAVE A BIT 56.5 m96 CHRIS PARNHAM JOHN MCARDLE
13 ENTICING STAR 56.5 m96 WILLIAM PIKE ADAM DURRANT
14 SEANNIE 56.5 m77 LINDSEY SMITH
15 VALOUR ROAD 54.5 m84 BEN ALLEN SIMON A. MILLER

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.