Sydney’s premiership winning trainer Chris Waller will saddle up three runners, Good Project, Mackintosh and Vanbrugh, in the Group 1 $1m Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Trainer Chris Waller will saddle up 3 runners in the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Waller won the Kingston Town Classic two years ago with Moriarty and has a great chance to win his second with all three runners well in contention.
Good Project has overcome an injury scare following his second to Scales Of Justice Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 19 and will take his place in the Kingston Town Classic.
The Not A Single Doubt five year old will be looking to win his second Group 1 race in Perth after taking out the 2015 Railway Stakes.
“He (Good Project) galloped well on Saturday morning,” Waller’s racing manager Charlie Duckworth told the West Australian.
“There are no problems with him, so he’s all set to go.”
Mackintosh battled on okay in the straight for fourth in the Railway Stakes while Vanbrugh will be having is first run in the West following a win in the Group 3 $150,000 Priceline Pharmacy Coogny Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on October 15 before running sixth in the Group 1 $2m Emirates Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 5.
Hugh Bowman will stick with Good Project, Damien Oliver gets the ride again on Mackintosh and Ben Melham will travel to Perth to stay with Vanbrugh.
The Grant and Alana Williams trained Perfect Refelction has a good chance of winning back to back Kingston Town Classics coming off a last start third in the Railway Stakes which followed a win in the Group 2 $250,000 Waroa-Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot, in Perth on November 5.
Trainer Lindsey Smith will be attempting to win back to back Group 1 races with Scales Of Justice who is coming off a last start win in the Railway Stakes and is included in the final field for the Kingston Town Classic with Hong Kong based jockey Douglas White retaining the ride.
Melbourne based Kiwi jockey Michael Walker is confident he will be fit to ride New Zealand galloper Kawi in the Kingston Town Classic after injuring his hip in a barrier incident at Moonee Valley last Saturday.
“My leg was caught between the saddle and the side of the gate but I will be fine,” Walker told racing.com.
Final acceptors for the Kingston Town Classic: 1 Good Project (Hugh Bowman), 2 Ihtsahymn (Steven Parnham), 3 Stratum Star (Damian Lane), 4 Kawi (Michael Walker), 5 Disposition (Glenn Smith), 6 He Or She (Chris Parnham), 7 Dubai Escapade, 8 Bass Strait (Brad Parnham), 9 Tradesman (Dwayne Dunn), 10 Scales Of Justice (Douglas Whyte), 11 Vanbrugh (Ben Melham), 12 Mackintosh (Damien Oliver), 13 Heart Starter (Peter Hall), 14 Neverland (Jarrad Noske), 15 Tick Tock Bloom (Patrick Carbery), 16 Perfect Reflection (William Pike).
Early market order for the Kingston Town Classic at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4.40 Perfect Reflection, $5.50 Scales Of Justice, $6.50 Kawi, $8 Tradesman, $9 Mackintosh, $11 Good Project, $13 Vanbrugh, $15 Stratum Star, $21 Disposition, He Or She, $31 Heart Starter, Neverland, Bass Strait, $51 Ihtsahymn, Tick Tock Bloom, $101 Dubai Escapade.
