Andreas Wohler’s German galloper Magic Artist has retained top spot in the Kingston Town Classic 2015 odds for the last Group 1 of the calendar year after coming up trumps with barrier one for the feature race in Perth on Saturday.
Magic Artist is firm favourite to win the 2015 Kingston Town Classic in Perth this weekend after coming up trumps with the inside barrier. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.
Due to jump from the inside alley with 2009 (Sniper’s Bullet) winning jockey in the race Damien Oliver booked for the ride, the in-form stallion is the headline acceptor for this year’s $1 million Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m).
Barrier one produced last year’s Kingston Town Classic winner Moriarty and the bookies at Ladbrokes.com.au, who are offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the race on Saturday, rate five-year-old Magic Artist as at $3.90 chance to go back-to-back from the gate.
He has had two runs down under both at Flemington a week apart during the Melbourne Cup Carnival when narrowly beaten in both the Group 1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 Emirates Stakes (1600m) and is tipped to appreciate the step back up in distance off the mile this weekend.
Four of his rivals him under $10 in Kingston Town Classic betting this Perth Summer Racing Carnival, the next best fancied quartet all locally-trained hopes including $4.40 second elect Perfect Reflection.
While no filly has won the race since it was first run in 1976, the bookies are taking no chances on this undefeated Grant Williams-trained More Than Ready three-year-old.
She has saluted in all four of her career starts so far including two at Ascot this time in most recently in the Group 3 W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) and jockey William Pike rates the form opting to stick with the youngster after having the pick of Williams’ contingent.
Occupying the third line of the Kingston Town Classic odds at $6 are two chances with market mover Real Love backed in from $7 and dual Group 1 winner Delicacy.
Both are mares out to beat the boys in the weight-for-age clash for the first time since 1999 and both have excellent records at Ascot they’re looking to add to.
After a Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) success over the mile and a half on New Year’s Day, the Adam Durrant-trained Desert King five-year-old Real Love won again first-up this campaign on October 31 in the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m).
She then ran seventh to Good Project in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) over the mile a fortnight ago that she is out to improve on up over more distance on Saturday from barrier seven with Chris Parnham riding.
Williams’ Al Maher four-year-old Delicacy meanwhile is after her first win since completing an elite level double as a three-year-old at Morphettville back in May with her victory over Werther in the Group 1 SA Derby (2500m).
She ran one better than Real Love crossing sixth in the Railway Stakes from a wide barrier 14 of 14 draw and has suffered another blow with jockey Peter Hall to earn his keep after the mare came up with the outside alley again (16) for Saturday.
Rounding out the single figure Kingston Town hopes in the pre-barrier draw markets at $8 is then Black Heart Bart jumping from three with Glenn Smith retaining the ride on the Vaughn Sigley-trained Blackfriars five-year-old.
The Lark Hill-based gelding has had 18 starts for six wins, five seconds and two thirds at the track including his back-to-back wins in the Group 3 Northerly Stakes (1420m) and Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) earlier this campaign.
His final start was also in the Railway, the form line to follow in recent years into the Kingston Town, where he caught the eye running a nice fourth to the Sydney-trained winner from the star Chris Waller stables.
Check out the full Kingston Town Classic 2015 odds below, prices courtesy of Ladbrokes.com.au who are the only bookie down under offering Best Tote or SP + 20% on the full field in the final 2015 Group 1 race this weekend!
