The James Cummings trained Trekking remains the solid favourite after drawing an inside barrier for the 2019 Group 1 $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Dubious, above in the aqua colours, has drawn a nice barrier in the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trekking is one of three runners who will carry the Godolphin royal blue colours in the feature sprint of the 2019 Ascot Racing Carnival and will jump from barrier four in the fifteen horse field with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle.
Cummings got a mixed bag at the Winterbottom Stakes barrier draw with Home Of The Brave drawing the outside gate while Viridine drew the middle of the road at seven.
McEvoy rode Trekking to victory in the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm during the 2019 Brisbane Winter Carnival and the Street Cry gelding is the $3 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au to claim a second Group 1 trophy.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained Dubious is the only three year old in the Winterbottom Stakes field and has drawn nicely at gate five with Melbourne Cup winning jockey Craig Williams to ride and the Victorian based trainers will also stable up Steven Parnham’s mount, Spirit Of Valor, who drew gate eleven.
Saddle representative Christine Duffy said the team is happy with the barriers and added that both horses had travelled across to Perth from Melbourne in good order and have settled in nicely.
“Delighted with the barrier draw,” Duffy told The Races WA.
“Dubious is in nice and tucked away and we are happy with that and Spirit Of Valor, he is very tractable also and he will slot into a nice position.”
“They both travelled really well, despite a little hiccup with the plane, but they have settled in really well and they have both been licking the bin and enjoying the warmth.”
The blinkers are coming off Dubious after his last start sixth in the Group 3 $500,000 Catanach’s Jewellers Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 16 and Duffy is expecting a good showing on the firmer Ascot track.
“We had hit a few soft tracks and he likes the firmer ground. We have come over here and we have a good firm track and hopefully he will be out there showing them,” she said.
“And it is always good to have a good in-form jockey. Craig is riding out of his skin at the moment so we are delighted for that little pick up for Dubs.”
Dubious is marked at $17 at Ladbrokes.com.au for the Winterbottom Stakes while Spirit Of Valor is rated as one of the outsiders of the field at $34.
Betting for the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $3 Trekking, $7 Flirtini, Hey Doc, $9 Vital Silver, $11 Valour Road, $13 Stageman, Home Of The Brave, $17 Dubious, Viridine, $21 Endless Drama, Misty Metal, $26 Malaguerra, Rock Magic, $34 Spirit Of Valor, $101 Durendal.
Final field and barrier draw for the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m)
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41131×8132 | TREKKING | James Cummings | Kerrin McEvoy | 4 | 58.5kg |
| 2 | 0x03820x7x | MALAGUERRA | Vaughn Sigley | Troy Turner | 13 | 58.5kg |
| 3 | 401x7x58x3 | HEY DOC | Tony & Calvin McEvoy | Luke Currie | 14 | 58.5kg |
| 4 | 451x153x49 | ROCK MAGIC | Chris Gangemi | Jarrad Noske | 1 | 58.5kg |
| 5 | 4x70x52472 | HOME OF THE BRAVE (IRE) | James Cummings | Damian Lane | 15 | 58.5kg |
| 6 | 419x395x60 | DURENDAL | Chris Gangemi | Brad Parnham | 3 | 58.5kg |
| 7 | 04146×0401 | VIRIDINE | James Cummings | Damien Oliver | 7 | 58.5kg |
| 8 | 455x1161x4 | VALOUR ROAD | Simon A Miller | Chris Parnham | 9 | 58.5kg |
| 9 | 042163x10x | ENDLESS DRAMA (IRE) | Tony Pike | Leith Innes | 2 | 58.5kg |
| 10 | 1213x13x42 | VITAL SILVER | Daniel & Ben Pearce | Ben Melham | 6 | 58.5kg |
| 11 | 3x226x530x | SPIRIT OF VALOR (USA) | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Steven Parnham | 11 | 58.5kg |
| 12 | 3611212236 | STAGEMAN | Adam Durrant | William Pike | 10 | 58.5kg |
| 13 | 3x1129x311 | FLIRTINI | Simon A Miller | Paul Harvey | 12 | 56.5kg |
| 14 | 3212117×25 | MISTY METAL | Robert & Todd Harvey | Shaun McGruddy | 8 | 56.5kg |
| 15 | 123015×426 | DUBIOUS | Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | Craig Williams | 5 | 53.5kg |
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