Jockey William Pike will chase a sixth victory and fifth in as many years when he partners the Adam Durrant-trained Treasured Star in the time-honoured Group 1 $1.5 million Furphy Railway Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.
William Pike is back in WA riding Treasured Star in the Railway Stakes 2022 field on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
With prize money boosted ahead of the 2022 edition of Perth’s mile classic, the Railway Stakes field has attracted a capacity line-up of talent this season.
WA’s premiere training duo of Grant & Alana Williams have prepared the latest four Railway Stakes winners, all ridden to victory by Pike, but will be without a runner this weekend.
Pike however is back in town looking to add more gold to his impressive collection.
He rode the Grant Williams-trained Elite Belle to success back in 2014 before his four consecutive wins for the stable from 2018-2021.
This year he partners last start Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) winner Treasured Star who has suffered an early blow drawing the far outside barrier (20 into 16).
Mares have a good recent record in the race with Inspirational Girl (2020) and Galaxy Star (2018) the latest to beat home the boys.
Treasured Star, a four-year-old daughter of Toronado, pays $11 through Ladbrokes to be the next but has work to do from the gate.
The latest Railway Stakes markets are led by the Dan Morton-trained Alaskan God, winner of the Group 2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) over the mile and a half back in April.
The now four-year-old son of Playing God has an outstanding four-from-five strike-rate at the Ascot track and presents a winning hope for the punters second-up.
He resumed in the Asian Beau over the 1400m running just 1.2 lengths back sixth, and he will appreciate the extra distance with the run under his belt this weekend.
Equal in the Railway Stakes odds with Alaskan God at $4.40 having been well supported early is the consistent Colin Webster-trained Trix Of The Trade.
The four-year-old son of Trade Fair was good in the Asian Beau finishing just a neck away third having resumed at the track carrying 61kg to victory in easier grade the start prior.
Karli’s Karma for Port Kennedy trainer Summer Dickson is the only other single-figure fancy at $7 in Railway Stakes betting.
Drawn ideally in barrier nine, the five-year-old Deep Field mare carried big weights to victory first and second up before her devastatingly close second to Massimo in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) on November 5.
Michael Lane‘s in-form Helmet six-year-old Resortman ($18) drawn the rails in the Railway is the other best out of the Lee Steere having run third with Massimo a non-acceptor for the Group 1.
Also drawn well in gate two is the Jim Taylor-trained Awesome Rock mare Searchin’ Roc’s on the quick back-up off her close win in last Saturday’s Group 3 R.J. Peters Stakes (1500m) victory.
The 2022 Railway Stakes is scheduled to jump at 4:45pm (AWST) local time – 7:45pm (AEDT).
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