The crown jewel of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival has finally rolled around, and we’re gearing up for a cracking 10-race program at Ascot this Saturday.
The $1.5 million Winterbottom Stakes once again steals the spotlight—one of the richest and most anticipated Group 1s of the Carnival—with star sprinters Overpass, Jokers Grin, and Rey Magnerio all ready to throw down.
We’ll also get a clearer picture of the Perth Cup and Northerly Stakes as the supporting races unfold, while my best of the day comes up in Race 5, where an unbeaten filly looks primed to keep the picket fence alive in the Lee Steere Classic.
Day 3 of The Pinnacles is set to deliver in spades—and you can find all of Saturday’s best bets right here.
MAGNIQUE (3) looks the one to kick us off on Saturday.
Simon Miller’s mare has clearly gone to another level this prep, resuming with a soft Class 3 win at Northam where she barely had to be asked until the final furlong, cruising home by three-quarters of a length.
She backed that up with a strong effort here at Ascot last week over 1200m, doing all the bullocking in front before only being claimed late by the unbeaten Smooth Chino.
The quick turnaround and drop back to 1000m look spot-on, and from a much friendlier draw with Lucy Fiore regaining the ride, she gets every chance to bounce straight back.
FOREVER BOY (7) looks ready to take a big step forward second-up after an eye-catching return over the mile a fortnight ago.
The Charm Spirit gelding enjoyed a soft run early under Clint Johnston-Porter before angling clear at the top of the straight, charging home to finish third—beaten less than half a length by Asphalt, who franked the form with a strong Stakes performance last weekend.
He meets them better at the weights this time around, particularly compared to Funchal who split the pair in that same race, and from the same draw you can expect CJP to roll out identical tactics.
Looks ready to peak.
Recent hat-trick hero FAST HARRY (8) looks every bit another gelding on the rise for Grant and Alana Williams.
Willy Pike had him in a lovely rhythm two weeks back over this track and trip, snagging across from a similar wide draw to settle off the speed before peeling out and building through his gears late for a strong win.
Visually, he was only just hitting top stride over the final 100m, so as long as he isn’t crying out for further just yet—and he gets a slice of luck early from the gate—I’m confident he can keep progressing and put another one on the board as he climbs through the grades.
I’m really keen on the Peter Fernie-trained DREAMERS NEVER DIE (5) in this.
The Nicconi gelding has absolutely clicked into gear over the past month, destroying them by nearly four lengths at Kalgoorlie to earn his shot here—a run that looked more like a barrier trial than a genuine contest over the 1200m.
Yes, this is a tougher assignment, and his Ascot record won’t win any awards, but with William Pike doing the steering, he only needs to lob into a handy spot and stalk the speed early to be right in the finish.
Looks a genuine winning hope.
The unbeaten HOT AND HIGH (8) couldn’t have asked for a better draw as she makes her Ascot debut on Saturday.
The Too Darn Hot filly made her Belmont win look effortless last start under Lucy Fiore, cruising into the race down the centre before being nudged into gear—putting them away by close to three lengths with plenty up the sleeve.
She does step up in grade here, but she’s clearly got a sharp turn of foot and with only 53kg on her back, she shapes as the one they all have to beat.
MISSISSIPPI DAWN (15) looks a touch over the odds for a mare who stormed into contention two weeks back over this exact trip.
The Pierro mare was buried in traffic rounding the bend and only saw daylight late, but once she lifted through her gears, she found the line strongly and was arguably a bit stiff not to finish closer in what was another honest 1800m effort.
She’s been up since August, but her runs have been well-spaced, so there’s still improvement to come—especially now that she finally draws a single-digit gate for the first time since her Bunbury win four starts ago.
A live each-way chance.
SEPTEMBER BORN (12) commands plenty of respect back in BM78 company.
The Playing God entire took on the Group 3 Asian Beau earlier this month over this track and trip, and while things never really panned out for him, it served as a genuine litmus test ahead of any Railway ambitions.
His first-up run at this level was strong without winning, sticking to the inside and hitting the line well to finish second behind a very sharp operator—suggesting he’s right on the cusp with the right setup.
The query is whether he’s looking for 1400m again (or even further), but with only 54.5kg on his back, he profiles as a major player.
I’m not in love with the draw, but BONJOY (1) brings some seriously strong form lines to the table—and that counts for plenty dropping back to her own sex.
Jason Miller’s mare has been slugging it out with the likes of Storyville, Rope Them In and Diamond Scene across all three runs this prep, and she’s been right on their hammer each time without quite landing a blow.
She arrives here rock-hard fit, carries the top weight, and only needs a slice of early luck to slot in from the slightly sticky gate. The small drop back in trip after the 1500m run last start looks ideal, and based on her recent efforts, a breakthrough win feels very close.
JOKERS GRIN (2) is a proper sprinter and certainly doesn’t look out of place in this field.
The Maschino gelding announced himself in The Quokka back in April and has returned in the same vein, sweeping the Prince of Wales and Colonel Reeves in back-to-back fashion. His latest win was arguably the most impressive yet—charging late to put away Oscar’s Fortune by half a length with that trademark burst.
His turn of foot was lethal, and the late splits only underline that there’s more still under the bonnet, particularly if he can avoid being posted wide this time around.
Patrick Carbery has piloted eight of his nine career wins, and as the market rightly suggests, he’s the in-form sprinter they all have to roll.
LADY BOSS (8) gets William Pike again and looks well-placed to improve off her first-up fourth over this track and trip a fortnight ago.
The Street Boss mare was always going to need the run after a decent break, but she also had genuine excuses—held up for a stride or two when searching for a split along the inside before finally getting clear air late.
That was her first outing for a new stable, so there’s plenty of upside to come, and her overall consistency—only six finishes outside the money across her career—makes her an easy horse to like. With a soft draw and a run-on pattern that suits Pike perfectly, she gets every chance to round them up late.