The world’s highest rated sprinter, Australia’s favourite galloper, New Zealand’s champion middle-distance runner and the winners of last year’s corresponding contests are among the record 281 nominations for the three Group One races of The TABtouch Masters at Ascot Racecourse in Perth.
Chautauqua headlines the Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes nominations but the Team Hawkes-trained five-time Group One champion is just one of 10 sprinters on the preliminary list which has won at the highest level – Flamberge, Holler, Japonisme, Lankan Rupee, Lucky Hussler, Malaguerra, Terravista, The Quarterback and, of course, Buffering are the others. Buffering’s army of fans will be hoping he becomes the first three-time winner of the Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes.
Kawi, the pride of New Zealand racing which has racked up five Group One victories since August 2015, has nominated for the James Boag’s Premium-Railway Stakes and the Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic that will bookend the TABtouch Masters, the world’s first single-track festival featuring a Group One race worth at least $1,000,000 on three consecutive Saturdays. The James Boag’s Premium-Railway Stakes and the Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic have each attracted nominations from 17 Group One champions, including respective title holders Good Project and Perfect Reflection and Western Australia’s Horse of the Year, Black Heart Bart.
“The record-breaking nominations for the three Group One races of The TABtouch Masters are extraordinary and testament to the positive reception Perth Racing’s new initiative has received from the local, national and international racing community. The James Boag’s Premium-Railway Stakes nominations have risen from 61 to 104, the Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes nominations have climbed from 49 to 57 and the Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic nominations have shot up from 80 to 120,” said Neil Pinner, Chairman of Perth Racing.
“There are 28 unique Group One winners – champions of 58 individual top-level races – among The TABtouch Masters nominations. We’re looking forward to seriously good times during the festival that takes place on Saturday 19 November, Saturday 26 November and Saturday 3 December.”