Last Saturday’s Colonel Reeves Stakes winner State Solicitor has shot to the top of Winterbottom Stakes 2017 betting with news that Impending won’t be making the trip west for the Group 1 sprint.
Impending has been ruled out of Perth’s 2017 Winterbottom Stakes Group 1 sprint this summer. Photo: Steve Hart.
The James Cummings-trained Godolphin galloper Impending was the original pre-field favourite in markets at Ladbrokes.com.au on the Group 1 $1 million Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot Racecourse on December 2.
The four-year-old Lonhro entire was last seen running a brave third behind The Everest winner Redzel in Flemington’s Group 1 $1 million Darley Classic (1200m) on November 11.
The team opted not to put Impending on the plane from Melbourne to Perth on Sunday evening however instead sending the class sprinter to the spelling paddock ahead of the autumn.
Local Perth sprint star State Solicitor has subsequently secured favourites in futures Winterbottom Stakes odds paying $3 to continue his spring – summer winning streak.
Prepared out of Karnup by Grant & Alana Williams, five-year-old Nicconi gelding State Solicitor made it back-to-back Ascot wins over the weekend saluting as the odds-on favourite in the Group 3 $150,000 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m).
Ridden by dual Winterbottom Stakes winning jockey William Pike, State Solicitor beat home Caipirinha (2nd) and Durendal (3rd) in the lead-up sprint.
Out to improve on his close sixth when only a length off the winner Takedown in last year’s Winterbottom Stakes results, State Solicitor is well-supported to do the Colonel Reeves – Winterbottom Stakes double last achieved by Barakey (2012).
Occupying the second line of updated Winterbottom Stakes betting this Perth Summer Racing Carnival at $4.40 is the Lloyd Kennewell-trained I Am Invincible mare from Adelaide Viddora.
Since 2009 three mares have beaten home the boys in the Winterbottom Stakes, most recently Magnifisio (2014).
Viddora has been in exciting form this campaign with two outstanding runs at Moonee Valley in elite company.
First-up she was narrowly defeated by the filly She Will Reign in the Group 1 $500,000 Moir Stakes (1000m) before her fourth to Hey Doc in the Group 1 $1 million Manikato Stakes (1200m) on Cox Plate Eve.
Rock Magic ($6) is the other perceived Winterbottom Stakes danger this summer, the Chris Gangemi-trained local hope returning home for the feature sprint after four Melbourne runs over the carnival.
His latest start on Emirates Stakes Day produced a Darley Classic sixth as a $41 roughie, the Redoute’s Choice eight-year-old coming off a different lead-up to last year.
In 2016 Rock Magic ran second in the Colonel Reeves Stakes before finishing under a length third to Takedown in the Winterbottom Stakes trifecta.
Buffering for his second success in 2015 was the last Winterbottom Stakes winner to back-up off a run in the Darley Classic improving on a fourth.
The now retired Robert Hickmott-trained champion also did the Darley Classic – Winterbottom Stakes Group 1 interstate double in 2013.
See below for the full Winterbottom Stakes 2017 betting odds, all-in pricing open now at Ladbrokes.com.au who are also offering the best odds for the Perth Group 1 Railway Stakes this weekend.
