In a big show of support for Perth Racing, strong nominations have been received ahead of the Ascot Pinnacles Carnival.
A number of Australia’s leading stables are among nominations for three $1.5 million Group 1 events: the Railway Stakes, the Northerly Stakes and Winterbottom Stakes.
Nominations were also taken for the $500,000 Placid Ark Stakes, $500,000 WA Guineas and the renamed $1.5 million Damien Oliver Gold Rush.
The Railway Stakes attracted 94 entries, the Winterbottom Stakes 68 entries, the Northerly Stakes 106 entries, the WA Guineas 70 entries, the Placid Ark Stakes 52 entries and The Gold Rush has 104 nominations.
James Cummings’ powerful Godolphin team, Chris Waller, Annabel Neasham, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Bjorn Baker are among eastern states representatives.
A potential starter for Cummings in the Railway Stakes and Northerly is veteran nine-year-old Cascadian, a Group 1 winner of the Australian Cup at Flemington last March.
Cascadian is in line to return to Perth after he ran fourth behind Amelia’s Jewel in last December’s Northerly Stakes.
Also in the mix is Perth mare Alsephina for trainers Grant and Alana Williams. The five-year-old is the current favourite for the Railway Stakes ahead of Tuvalu.
Perth-owned Tuvalu, prepared by Lindsey Smith, has opened $7 favourite for the Northerly Stakes.
Asfoora is the headline act for Ballarat trainer Henry Dwyer in the Winterbottom Stakes. The Flying Artie mare was a brilliant winner of the Group 2 Schillachi Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Top Perth mare Amelia’s Jewel is also a surprising Winterbottom Stakes and Gold Rush nomination entry after finishing out of the placings for the first time in her career when 9th in the Group 1 Toorak at Caulfield on Saturday.
Bjorn Baker’s Winterbottom Stakes hopeful is Overpass, potentially back in the west again after taking out the inaugural $4 million The Quokka in April.
The Pinnacles carnival runs from opening day on November 18 with the Champion Fillies Stakes and concludes on December 16 with the running of the Damien Oliver-The Gold Rush.
2023 Pinnacles Feature Nominations.pdf