The stage is set for an electrifying edition of the Group 1 $1.5 million Railway Stakes this Saturday at Ascot, with local hopes receiving a significant boost from Tuesday's barrier draw.
Perfect Gates for Favourites
Grant and Alana Williams' stable stars Watch Me Rock and Western Empire have tightened dramatically in betting after securing ideal starting positions for the 1600-metre feature. Watch Me Rock, fresh off his Grandstand Cup victory with jockey William Pike, will launch from barrier four, while stablemate Western Empire drew the coveted rail in gate one.
The favourable draws saw Watch Me Rock firm to $3.60 TABtouch favouritism, with Western Empire breathing down his neck at $3.70. The local duo now present a formidable challenge to interstate rivals in one of Western Australia's most prestigious races.
NSW Raider's Horror Draw
While WA horses celebrated their fortune, the picture turned grim for NSW raider Depth Of Character. The interstate contender was dealt a crushing blow with barrier 20, immediately seeing his price ease to $14 as punters assessed the difficult task ahead.
The barrier draw has created a clear divide between local hopes and their eastern states rival, setting up a classic home advantage narrative for Saturday's contest.
Super Smink Defies Awkward Gate
Dan Morton's Lee Steere Stakes winner Super Smink remains in contention at $8.50 despite drawing awkwardly in barrier 15 and carrying a penalty for her recent victory on November 8.
"Winning form is good form, she's come out of that race in good shape, so I'm super excited about it," Morton said. "She's seriously good and adaptive. We ran in this race last year with her and she was good, so I feel like she's in a better space now."
Morton revealed they had implemented a different preparation strategy this time around: "We did want to give her two trials this time around, which we did just to have a little bit fresher legs coming into this."
The trainer also expressed confidence in his other contender, In Good Order ($18), who drew perfectly in gate two after his close second to Super Smink. "The horse has been going great behind the scenes and it would be no surprise to me again on Saturday if he runs a big race," Morton stated.
Fourth emergency Cosmic Crusader ($9) faces an uphill battle to even secure a start but has gate seven if the miracle occurs, completing the picture for what promises to be a thrilling Railway Stakes this weekend.
