The final Group 1 race of 2016 takes place at Perth’s Ascot Racecourse on the weekend and below is our exclusive Kingston Town Classic form guide preview and betting analysis.

Mackintosh is out to be the sixth Kingston Town Classic winner to jump from barrier 10 since 1983. Photo: Daniel Costello.

Running as Ascot Race 8 at 5:00pm (W.A. time), this year’s $1 million Group 1 Peters Investments Kingston Town Classic (1800m) features 16 hopefuls.

Markets at Ladbrokes.com.au have last year’s winner Perfect Reflection ($4.20) at the top of the odds to go back-to-back from a gun barrier two with William Pike aboard once again.

She’s been in strong form again this Perth Summer Racing Carnival including her third in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) last time out, a race that has produced eight of the past 11 Kingston Town Classic winners.

Hot on her heels in the Kingston Town Classic odds at $5 each for the win are now the Kiwi raider Kawi ($5) who can improve on a Railway sixth getting in better kilo-wise at weight-for-age over the extra meters and the local Lindsey Smith-trained Scales Of Justice.

A progressive and in-form Not A Single Doubt four-year-old, Scales Of Justice posted his third win on the trot in the Railway Stakes and proved he was a galloper to watch.

He loves the track, but is yet to race over further than a mile and he needs to handle the rise from 53kg in the handicap Railway Stakes to a more challenging 58.5kg on the weekend.

That’s the story told by the bookies but what does the Kingston Town Classic form guide, betting facts and historical data reveal about who to back and who to sack in the showdown?

2016 Kingston Town Classic Form Facts & Betting Stats

• Last year’s Kingston Town Classic winner was the Grant Williams-trained filly Perfect Reflection (2015) who came off a Group 3 win at the track and jumped from barrier 12 (of 16) as the $4.50 favourite with William Pike in the saddle
• #16 Perfect Reflection returns chasing back-to-back wins in 2016 for the first time since Playing God (2010-11)
• Grant Williams chases back-to-back wins as a trainer with not only #16 Perfect Reflection but also stablemates #5 Disposition, #13 Heart Starter and #14 Neverland
• William Pike chases back-to-back wins as a jockey aboard the defending champion #16 Perfect Reflection
• #16 Perfect Reflection won as a filly in 2015 and is now out to be the first four-year-old mare to win the race since St. Clemens Belle (1999)

• Along with Grant Williams (16-1-3-1) the other previous Kingston Town Classic winning trainers with a runner this weekend are: Chris Waller (2-1-0-0) with #1 Good Project, #11 Vanbrugh and #12 Mackintosh; Fred Kersley (12-1-0-0) with #2 Ihtsahymn who won the race back in 2013; Neville Parnham (22-2-1-3) with #8 Bass Strait; David Hayes (14-3-0-1) with #6 He Or She

• #2 Ihtsahymn ($41) is looking to be the first dual, non-consecutive Kingston Town Classic winner since Niconero (2006 & 2008)
• Along with William Pike (9-1-2-0) the other previous Kingston Town Classic winning jockeys with a ride this summer are: Steven Parnham (11-3-1-0) on #2 Ihtsahymn, Douglas Whyte (2-1-0-0) on #10 Scales Of Justice and Damien Oliver (7-1-2-0) on #12 Mackintosh

• In the past decade five Kingston Town Classic winners came off a last-start victory; #10 Scales Of Justice ($5) is the only last start winner in the mix this year.

• The Railway Stakes has produced eight of the past 11 Kingston Town Classic winners including Sniper’s Bullet (2009) and Modem (2004) who are the latest to complete the double
• This year #10 Scales Of Justice is out to be the next Railway Stakes – Kingston Town Classic winner
• The other Railway Stakes graduates backing-up on the weekend are: Good Project (2^nd), Perfect Reflection (3^rd), Mackintosh (4^th), Tradesman (5^th), Kawi (6^th), Heart Starter (7^th), He Or She (9^th), Disposition (11^th), Neverland (12^th) and Tick Tick Bloom (14^th)
• Favourites or equal favourites have won six of the past 10 editions of the race; this year #16 Perfect Reflection ($4.20) is out to be the next
• Last year’s winning barrier (12) has produced two winners (since 1983) and belongs on Saturday to #13 Heart Starter ($41)
• The most successful Kingston Town Classic barrier in that time producing five winners is gate 10; barrier 10 belongs this year to #12 Mackintosh ($13)

• The other best barriers with four winners each (since 1983) are 2 and 7 drawn on Saturday by #16 Perfect Reflection and #11 Vanbrugh ($13) respectively
• Three-year-olds have won four times in the past decade; there are no 3YOs in the mix this year
• The highest Win Rate of the field belongs to #16 Perfect Reflection (60%) followed by #4 Kawi (50%), #9 Tradesman (50%) and #12 Mackintosh (50%)
• The best Place Rate of the field belongs to #10 Scales Of Justice (100%) followed by #16 Perfect Reflection (90%) and #5 Disposition (75%)
• The previous winners over the distance (1800m) are: #2 Ihtsahymn (4-1-1-0), #4 Kawi (1-1-0-0), #7 Dubai Escapade (5-1-1-1), #11 Vanbrugh (1-1-0-0), #13 Heart Starter (1-1-0-0), #15 Tick Tick Bloom (1-1-0-0) and #16 Perfect Reflection (1-1-0-0)
• The horses with the best record at the track (Ascot) are: #6 He Or She (9-6-0-1), #2 Ihtsahymn (19-5-3-0), #14 Neverland (14-5-3-1), #10 Scales Of Justice (6-4-2-0), #16 Perfect Reflection (6-4-0-2), #7 Dubai Escapade (25-4-1-6), #13 Heart Starter (7-3-0-0) and #5 Disposition (7-2-3-0)

Stay tuned for our insider 2016 Kingston Town Classic tips, checking out the full form guide on the last Group 1 of the year below courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au – home of Odds Boost Extra (T&Cs apply).

2016 Kingston Town Classic Form Guide