Perth Racing: 2016 Railway Stakes Day Betting Tips

The Melbourne Spring Carnival is all but over and the attention of our horse racing betting tips now turns to the Perth Carnival which hosts its three Group 1 races in consecutive weeks.

First up we have the 2016 Railway Stakes Day at Ascot, followed by the Winterbottom Stakes next weekend and finally the Kingston Town Classic on December 3.

There looks to be possibly the strongest contingent of Eastern States horses making the trip for the Carnival this year so the Group 1's are shaping up to be great contests.

We will have betting tips for every race of the Carnival along with previews of the big races!  

2016 Railway Stakes Day Betting Tips

Race 1 - TABTOUCH ON FACEBOOK HANDICAP 2200m

Looks as if THE FORGOTTEN ONE will be hard to beat here but he jumps 4kg to 58kg here which is the query. Has won his past two and if he gets a good run he might have the sharpest turn of foot in what looks a race with no tempo. PROXY  can go well here with a 3kg weight swing on The Forgotten One. Well weighted, well drawn and has a good record at the track and distance. Our Mate Al is flying but steps straight to 2200m from 1400m, while Already Famous will be thereabotus. 

Tip: The Forgotten One

Race 2 - AMELIA PARK HANDICAP 1100m

Sticking with ROGER THE ROMAN here purely because of the hot speed expected. There looks to be a number of on-pacers here, including a few high up in the market, and this horse will sit back off the speed with Oliver on board and be charging home late. However, I couldn't back him with any confidence at the $3 mark because he will need luck at the right time from barrier 2. Tommy Who and Prime Witness the obvious ones to watch first up from spells.

Tip: Roger The Roman

Race 3 - PRESETS PERFORMING PERTH CUP - DEC 31 HANDICAP 1000m

FURIOUS DAME was beaten by Delicate Miss last start but pulled up with heat stress post-race and gets a 3.5kg weight swing here for a 2.5L defeat last time. With Pike jumping back on I think she can turn that result around, with Delicate Miss having to rise 5kg in weight. It looks a quite competitive race but happy to have a bet here at the $4.60.

Tip: Furious Dame

Race 4 - MUMM CHAMPAGNE HANDICAP 1500m

Could be a Pike double here with CRONKITE seemingly well placed to bounce back. He was first up off a 7 week break last start and found a bit of trouble but still finished off well. Fitter, well drawn, Pike jumps back on and the 1500m will suit. Sasso's Circus should be charging home from back in the field, while Ripper Rio and Push To Pass also have winning claims.

Tip: Cronkite

Race 5 - TABTOUCH-PLACID ARK STAKES 1200m

Looks a race in two for mine with CAIPIRINHA and WHERE'S WALLY. Caipirinha didn't quite run the mile in the Champion Fillies last start and the drop back to 1200m is much more suitable. She will lead and is every chance of running them into the ground. My query with her is the one-week backup from the tough 1600m. Where's Wally may be the one to go with first up from a short break. He might be looking for 1400m but he will be nice and fresh and has trialled well leading into this. Happy to take the $4.50 for him to roll the favourite.

Tip: Where's Wally

Race 6 - CARBINE CLUB OF W.A. STAKES 1400m

VERY keen to avoid Chocolate Holic here who comes up favourite. His trainer during the week said he was going straight for a spell but he lines up on the quick back up here. Very happy to have a bet on both COMING BACK ($9) and UNIVERSAL LAW ($8). Coming Back ran well in a strong race last start over an unsuitable distance and now steps back up to his pet distance of 1400m where he's never finished outside the top 2 from 6 starts. Universal Law also has strong formlines behind Pounamu and Tradesman, who have both franked the form since. Has a tough draw but gets the services of Douglas Whyte.

Tip: Coming Back / Universal Law

Race 7 - SKY RACING-W.A. GUINEAS 1600m

Everything about ELLICAZOOM's lead up has been spot on for this race and she looks very hard to beat here. The slight query is obviously the one week backup and also the fact she supposedly pulled up lame last start. But her trainer is adamant she showed no lameness the day after the race and that's good enough for me. Draws well and with even luck she maps to win this. Whispering Brook's inclusion here reeks of desperation and afterthought but if she were to bring her best she would win this. Get Over It, Lusaha, Humanity and I Am Boudica are all worth including. Saul's Special has a tough ask from the barrier.

Tip: Ellicazoom (best bet)   

Race 8 - RAILWAY STAKES 1600m - Group 1

Absolutely cracking race and there's plenty of hopes in a wide open race. The market suggests as much with $6 the field currently on offer. I've narrowed this down to six chances.

PERFECT REFLECTION is obviously a leading hope on the back of her win in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes last start. She will improve once again off that and being a Group 1 winner already, she looks very well weighted with just 54.5kg. Pike on, barrier 2, hard to beat.

I was very keen on MACKINTOSH prior to him drawing barrier 16. Unfortunately the wide barriers here generally make it difficult to win but in saying that, he gets Damien Oliver on board and has very strong form lines for a race like this. If he manages to get a good run he is definitely capable of winning this.

HE OR SHE is an interesting runner. This horse dominated in his early days here in the West before transferring to the East Coast. His form behind the likes of Palentino, Black Heart Bart and even Winx reads tremendously well for this. He's won 6 from 8 at this track and it wouldn't surprise me to see him win this. Include him in everything.

GOOD PROJECT is another of Waller's that makes the trip and he won this race last year. This is a much tougher field than what he faced last year but he's had just the three runs so far this prep and there is a sense of timing about him. He gets Hugh Bowman on board and a lovely barrier so it wouldn't surprise me to see him win again. 

The two I am particularly interested in, however, are RAGEESE and TRADESMAN. 

RAGEESE is a nemesis of most punters but his win last start in the Group 3 Chatham Stakes at Flemington was good enough to win this. The very slight query is the 1600m but I don't see that being a problem. He carries just 53.5kg and 7 of the past 10 winners have carried 54kg or less. Barrier 11 should see him settle just worse than midfield and he has the turn of foot to take out this race.

TRADESMAN is the other that really interests me. He beat Scales Of Justice first up and gets in better at the weights from that race here, and Scales Of Justice has come out and won some good races since then. Last start Tradesman finished third behind Perfect Reflection and Disposition. He basically went with Perfect Reflection the whole straight but was just edged out, however he gets a 3.5kg weight swing in his favour today. 53kg is a popular weight in the last 10 years and from barrier 6 he should get every chance.

Looks a very competitive race and I think in all likelihood we'll see one of the Eastern States horses win this, but Perfect Reflection and Tradesman offer some hope that the Railway could stay here. I'll be backing both Rageese and Tradesman with a saver on Perfect Reflection. Wary of Mackintosh despite the barrier.

1st RAGEESE
2nd TRADESMAN
3rd PERFECT REFLECTION
4th MACKINTOSH 

Race 9 - CROWN PERTH-JUNGLE MIST CLASSIC 1200m

Tough race to finish off. I was very taken by the win of JESTAJINGLE last start, although it was in midweek company and this is a huge step up. LET IT SLIP has been racing well against some of the best horses in the state in Lite'n In My Veins and State Solicitor, and she was scratched from a race last week to be saved for this. With the good draw she should be hard to hold out. SECRET NOVA has an imperious record at this track and distance and first up. She's trialled well so could go well here. METEOROID another to include.

Tip: Let It Slip