Inspirational Girl continues to dominate 2020 Kingston Town Classic betting this weekend in Perth, while there has also been a move on the final emergency Western Empire from the same stable.
Playing God (2010-11) was the last dual Kingston Town Classic champion. Photo: Taron Clarke.
Father, daughter training duo Grant & Alana Williams are the powerhouse performers in Perth and saddle-up two confirmed runners plus a potential third hopeful in Saturday’s Group 1 $1 million Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
Race favourite is the team’s Group 1 Railway Stakes winning mare Inspirational Girl drawn wide in gate 18 (potentially into 15) with the state’s premier hoop William Pike aboard.
Sniper’s Bullet (2009) was the last to do the Railway Stakes – Kingston Town Classic double, highlighting the difficulty of the feat Saturday’s top elect is out to emulate.
In flying form this campaign, the five-year-old daughter of Reliable Man has won her last three on the trot to take her Ascot track record up to a commanding five wins from six starts.
She was excellent carrying Pike on 53kg to a nearly two length win in the Railway over the mile on November 21 and is now at Kingston Town Classic odds of $2.35 through Ladbrokes.com.au to continue her winning ways.
That price has eased slightly as the wide draw, step up to 1800m and the notable rise in weights to 57kg all present as definite hurdles for the classy mare.
She is joined in the confirmed line-up by stablemate Truly Great who won three on the trot to kick off his spring – summer campaign before a last start seventh from a wide alley in the Railway Stakes.
Still only three lengths off his winning stablemate in that, the Dundeel five-year-old will relish getting back out over further boasting winning form up to 2200m.
Current Kingston Town Classic markets have Truly Great at a generous $19, while the stable’s third acceptor Western Empire has been backed in from $16 to $11.
He still needs two horses to scratch from the starting line-up to gain a run, but the bookies are taking no chances with the lightly-raced Iffraaj gelding.
Still a maiden after three starts, the progressive three-year-old was last seen running fourth to Watch Me Dance in the Group 2 WA Guineas (1600m) on Railway Stakes Day and will be thrown in the deep end on Saturday should he gain a start.
Following Inspirational Girl in the markets are Dom to Shoot ($7.50) coming off a Group 2 WA Guineas third and Lindsey Smith’s consistent Railway Stakes runner-up Too Close The Sun ($8) also being tested at weight-for-age on Saturday.
Rounding out the single-figure fancies are then Neville Parnham’s defending champion Kay Cee ($9.50) out to emulate her dual Kingston Town Classic winning sire Playing God (2010-11) and the flying WA Guineas winning filly Watch Me Dance ($9.50) in on just 50kg.
“There is not many that have done it,” Kay Cee’s trainer Parnham told Punters this week speaking ahead of his mare’s shot at becoming the sixth dual champion in the race’s history.
“She comes up in weight to the four-year-old weight now to a similar weight to what she carried in the Railway Stakes a fortnight ago when she had to give weight to some of her rivals.
“This time she gets in better at the weights and while she has a tricky barrier, I am sure Brad (Parnham) will work it out.
“He knows the horse and it’s coming together nicely.”
Click here for the latest Kingston Town Classic 2020 odds on the last Group 1 race in Australia for the calendar year courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au.
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