The Group 1 Magic Millions Kingston Town Classic is the final Group 1 of the year and concludes The Masters carnival at Ascot in WA.
The track will be a Good 4 and the rail is in the 6m position for this weekend, with a field of 14 set to line up over the 1800m.
GROUP 1 KINGSTON TOWN CLASSIC BETTING PREVIEW
SPEED MAP & TEMPO
There’s not a huge amount of speed horses in this but expect it to be run at a decent clip with Trap For Fools sure to take up the running. Great Shot will go forward from barrier 5 and I’d be very surprised if we didn’t see Achernar Star more forward today from barrier 1. Heart Starter went forward last start so it will be interesting to see what tactics they use from barrier 11 today. Material Man gets another lovely run from barrier 2 and the favourite Arcadia Queen should get a dream run in midfield from barrier 6. Behind those probably comes Gatting and Iconoclasm, who should both find spots in midfield and then it’s a whole host of backmarkers. Mister Sea Wolf and Prying Tom have decisions to make from their wide barriers, which leaves Star Exhibit, Holy Snow, Galaxy Star and Perfect Jewel near the back of the field.
RUNNER-BY-RUNNER PREVIEW
- Trap For Fools
Out to a reasonably good price now at $10, all things considered. Comes off a G1 win in the Mackinnon Stakes, where he defeated Irish Derby winner Latrobe and VRC Derby winner Extra Brut. Returns to the West now where he has seven wins from 12 starts at Ascot. Should find the lead and get absolute every chance but there’s a couple of big negatives today. I think 1800m is short of his best distance (2000m+) and he has concussion plates on his feet, which obviously indicates problems, though trainer Jarrod McLean has said he’s basically as good as he can be. He’ll be brave as always but I think he’ll struggle to win this.
- Material Man
Ran a cracker first up in the Railway. Travelled into it beautifully but just found a couple better on the day. He should improve plenty from that given it was his first run since a setback and his second up record is terrific, with three wins from four starts. Gets a 2kg weight swing on Galaxy Star and draws very well again in barrier 2 so with even luck, he looks a terrific each way chance.
- Great Shot
Beaten 8L when finishing third last in the Railway. Should get a nice enough run on the speed as one of only a couple of genuine frontrunners in the race, but you’d have to suggest on the back of last start that he’s not going well enough to be a genuine contender.
- Gatting
Ran a cracker in the Railway despite getting concussion plates on his feet for the race. He’s returned in terrific order this preparation, with that runner-up finish in the G1 backing up his big first up win in the Lee Steere. Should only continue to improve with the step up in distance but the WFA conditions means he’s actually a kilogram worse off to Galaxy Star from the Railway. Drawn well in barrier 3, Damian Lane keeps the ride and despite that rise in weight, I suspect he’ll run another huge race today at good odds.
- Star Exhibit
Had a long time off leading into this preparation and he might finally be starting to reach peak fitness. He was one of only three horses in the Railway to break 23 seconds for his final 400m. Wouldn’t suggest he’s quite good enough to win this at this stage of his career but he’s probably not going as badly as what it might seem.
- Mister Sea Wolf
Well supported at longer odds in the Railway and ran fairly to finish 5th, beaten 3.25L by Galaxy Star. Goes up 5.5kg in the weights today meaning he’s 1.5kg worse off at the weights to the Railway winner. Rory Hutchings is over to take the ride for Chris Waller in a Group 1, which tells you the horse has absolutely zero chance.
- Heart Starter
Has been a long way off his best for a long time now and his last win was back in October of 2016.
- Prying Tom
Has placed just once from five starts when second up and draws very poorly here in the widest barrier of all. He’s looking for 2000m plus and can be followed back down in grade in his coming starts.
- Achernar Star
Disappointing run in the Railway from a horse I thought had a legitimate chance. The really surprising thing to me was the change of tactics. They elected to go back to midfield rather than push forward from the wide gate and he was subsequently well-beaten. Barrier 1 today should see him further forward in the run but he’s not very well weighted under WFA conditions. I’d suggest he can run a cheeky race at big odds but he’s not a winning chance based on last start.
- Iconoclasm
Pretty disappointing in the Railway Stakes, only managing to run 8th, beaten 4.25L. He hit the line okay but wasn’t an eye-catcher. Should be able to find a spot in midfield from barrier 8 and he steps up to 1800m for the first time in his career. $26 is probably a decent price but he’d have to improve quite significantly on last start.
- Holy Snow
The second of the Weir horses with Mitchell Pateman an interesting jockey booking. The horse’s first run for Darren Weir last start was very good, motoring home from the back of the field to finish 2nd to Fifty Stars, who was Weir’s original Railway Stakes horse. He’s since had two trials in WA while he’s been here, with a few barrier manners needing to be stamped out. Gets the blinkers back on today and on the back of last start, you’d suggest he’s not the worst hope in the race. Definitely one I’ll be having something on at $23.
- Galaxy Star
Simply brilliant in winning the Railway Stakes, aided by a ridiculously good ride from Pike. She unsurprisingly recorded the fastest final 200m of the race and the victory took her record to 10 wins and three 2nd placings from 13 starts. Of course, the big negative for her is the barrier, which means she’ll be going right back to the end of the field. She was back there last start but she got all the runs on the inside, whereas today, from barrier 14, she’s likely going to have to loop the field. The difference between her win and Arcadia Queen’s was the fact the Railway was run at a pretty genuine tempo throughout, whereas Arcadia Queen just enjoyed a sit-sprint. With Trap For Fools in the race, this should be run pretty genuinely, which probably favours her. Just needs a good ride and I wouldn’t at all put it past her winning this.
- Perfect Jewel
Enormous run in the Railway which suggested she’s right back to her best form. Let’s not forget this mare won the Guineas last year before starting $5.50 in this race, where she ran 4th. She had very little luck in the Railway but still managed to clock the fastest final 400m of the race and was only 0.02 seconds off Galaxy Star’s final 200m. Drawn well in barrier 4, though she’s likely to get a long way back and she should be running home strongly once again. Not hopeless at all.
- Arcadia Queen
Arrogant win in the WA Guineas two weeks ago, where she positioned much closer to the speed than she had been in previous starts. She enjoyed a steady tempo which eventually turned into a sit-sprint and she unleashed a devastating turn of foot to score by 3L. Her final 200m was quicker than Galaxy Star’s final 200m in the Railway and she now sets out to do what Perfect Reflection did three years ago. The weight obviously sees her very well in and therefore Pike elects to take the ride on her. She was done a huge favour at the barrier draw after coming up with gate 6, which should see her two or three pairs back, one off the rail. Very hard to beat, but we’re probably yet to see her in a really hard-run race, which is the only query.
SELECTION
I’m not particularly confident in this race, especially after the Railway where Galaxy Star embarrassed me. I think she’s got the runs on the board when it comes to genuinely run races and I think that’s what we’re going to get today, so I’m leaning towards having her on top. The three-year-old Arcadia Queen is obviously the one she has to beat and she gets the run of the race from barrier 6 so deserves favouritism. Gatting was huge last start and there’s no reason he can’t go well again and the same can be said for Material Man second up. Iconoclasm and Holy Snow aren’t hopeless (the latter should be hitting the line very hard) while Trap For Fools will run his usual brave race. Perfect Jewel, who was hard in the market in this race last year.
