Stellar Cast of Raiders Set to Take on the Best in the West at Ascot
Annabel Neasham’s multiple Group 1 winning performer ZAAKI headlines an astonishing list of nominations, including strong teams from champion trainer Chris Waller, Hall of Fame legend Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott as well as Melbourne-Cup winning duo Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.
Western Australia is set to take the world stage this spring, as it plays host to the premier thoroughbred racing in the world at the time, in a series of five spectacular feature Saturdays that are aptly named The Pinnacles.
The who’s who of racing prepare to head for WA
Racing WA and Perth Racing have today unveiled the first stage nominations for The Pinnacles, which begins on November 18 with the Champion Fillies’ Stakes and TABtouch Placid Ark, to be followed by four further consecutive Saturdays of heart-pounding action at Ascot, the grand old lady of Australian racecourses.
Connections are chasing over $10.5m in prizemoney over the course of The Pinnacles. From the eastern seaboard, champion trainer Chris Waller leads the way with a team of twenty six (26) horses across thirty nine (39) nominations, but there is serious depth in the interstate challenge, with representation from Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, James Cummings for Godolphin, Ciaron Maher & David Eustace, Annabel Neasham, Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman, Quokka-winning trainer Bjorn Baker, Henry Dwyer, Julius Sandhu, Clinton McDonald, Michael Freedman, Will Savage, Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young, Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea, Michael Hickmott, Lindsey Smith, Sam & Anthony Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr, Nick Ryan and Cliff Brown.
The home team is headed by AMELIA’S JEWEL, nominated for the Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes and the Damien Oliver Gold Rush (sponsored by TABtouch) as connections keep their options open following a disappointing run from their superstar filly on Saturday.
Last year’s Furphy-Railway Stakes winner, TRIX OF THE TRADE, is set to defend his crown for hugely popular trainer Colin Webster, and star WA juvenile from last season, SUPER SMINK is nominated for the Sky Racing WA Guineas, the Drummond Golf-Northerly Stakes and the TABtouch Gold Rush.
Perth Racing CEO, James Oldring extends a warm welcome to all potential interstate challengers:
“All of us are delighted with the quality of the nominations for The Pinnacles at this early stage; we have worked extremely hard to present The Pinnacles as an Australian racing carnival – not just a West Australian feature – and the calibre of horses and trainers that have nominated for our carnival highlights are a testament to our progress in that regard.
“It’s so important for the standing of our carnival – and particularly our Group 1 events – to attract the best horses, trainers and jockeys in Australia, so we look forward to extending a very warm welcome to everyone that travels from the east coast to take on the best of our home team, who will no doubt be all out to ensure that the bulk of the prize money, and the bragging rights, stay right here in Perth.”
Download the full list of nominations below.
DOWNLOAD NOMINATIONS
Nominations break down across feature races as follows:
Day 1 - Champion Fillies' Day (18 November 2023): Kicking off with Champion Fillies’ Stakes (Group 2, $300k, 1600m – nominations close 14 November) and the Placid Ark Stakes (Listed, $500k, 1200m 52 nominations).
The TABtouch Placid Ark Stakes may only be Listed Status, but with $500,000 on offer, it has attracted an inevitably strong set of nominations, led by recent Max Simmonds Stakes winner ALMIGHTY CLASS for Mitchell Pateman.
Day 2 - Furphy Railway Stakes Day (25 November 2023): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1600m – 94 nominations) and the Sky Racing WA Guineas (Group 2, $500k, 1600m – 70 nominations).
The Furphy-Railway Stakes nominations are headlined by multiple G1 winning superstar ZAAKI, a winner of four G1s and over $10.5m so far, whose presence in the field would undoubtedly cause a few headaches with the weights. Annabel Neasham’s stable star is joined by the ultra-tough MY OBERON, multiple Group 1 placed performer.
Chris Waller has nominated a team of thirteen for the race, headed by ATISHU, another G1 winner with $1.7m to her name, Group 2 winner OSIPENKO, and KOVALICA, recent runner up in the G1 Epsom and victorious in the G1 Queensland Derby, a winner of over $1.5m.
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott team are also mob-handed in the nominations, with a team of six nominated for the race, which takes place just two days after Gai Waterhouse is set to be inducted as an Australian Hall of Fame racing legend in a star-studded ceremony at Optus Stadium. Their attack is led by three time Group 1 winner, CONVERGE, with career earnings in excess of $2m.
Godolphin has nominated their evergreen warrior CASCADIAN, a three time Group 1 winner with over $8.4m career earnings to date. Lindsey Smith, who no longer has a WA base, has nominated his star performer TUVALU, a previous winner of the G1 Toorak Handicap.
Matthew Dunn’s two time Group 2 winner, CEPHEUS, is an intriguing potential contender as well, having won his last two starts at Rosehill.
The home challenge is headed by last year’s winner, TRIX OF THE TRADE for veteran trainer Colin Webster and the ultra-consistent high class mare ALSEPHINA for Grant & Alana Williams, who has won her last six starts.
The Sky Racing WA Guineas is headlined by last year’s WA Champion Two-Year-Old, SUPER SMINK for the Danny Morton stable but she faces potentially stiff competition from interstate with Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Annabel Neasham, Michael Freedman and Chris Waller all with high quality nominations.
Day 3 - Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes Day (2 December 2023): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1200m - 68 nominations).
The Crown-Perth Winterbottom Stakes has attracted an outstanding field of sprinters, headed by last year’s Quokka winner, OVERPASS. It’ll be no easy task for Bjorn Baker’s star to repeat his victory over the 1200m of Ascot however, with a galaxy of stars set to take him on. BELLA NIPOTINA is a proven Group 1 winning sprinter, having amassed over $4.2m career prize money to date for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace (including a gallant third in The Quokka) and she’s joined by ASFOORA (fourth in The Quokka) from Henry Dwyer’s stable. ASFOORA has been absolutely flying of late, including when handing a three length beating to a quality field of horses in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
Last year’s third placed runner, HOT ZED, for Lou Luciani is also nominated to spearhead the home team, whilst the Simon Miller stable has nominated their superstar AMELIA’S JEWEL, who needs no introduction to WA racing fans – which means that the first five home in The Quokka could reoppose in the running of this year’s Winterbottom Stakes.
Chris Waller has nominated his recent Everest runner, ESPIONA, former winner of the Group 1 Coolmore Classic and $1.8m in career earnings to date.
LOFTY STRIKE, one of the most talented sprinters in training without a top level victory to his name, has been nominated by trainer Julius Sandhu, as he seeks an elusive first Group 1 victory, having come agonisingly close on two previous occasions.
STAR PATROL, a dual Group 2 winner for Clinton McDonald is also nominated, as is the highly progressive I AM ME, for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace, a winner of six of her last eight starts.
Day 4 - Drummond Golf Northerly Stakes Day (9 December 2023): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1800m – 106 nominations).
As expected, many of the leading lights nominated for the Furphy-Railway Stakes are also in the running for the Drummond Golf-Northerly Stakes, including: ZAAKI, TUVALU, TRIX OF THE TRADE, SUPER SMINK, MY OBERON, OSIPENKO, KOVALICA, CONVERGE, CASCADIAN, ALSEPHINA and ATISHU.
Last year’s runner up IRONCLAD is also set to return to Ascot for Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea, as is third placed runner from last year, STEINEM, for Ciaron Maher & David Eustace.
Chris Waller has the recent Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner REDIENER nominated, whilst Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman have three nominated, including the stakes winning POUNDING.
Day 5 – Damien Oliver Gold Rush Day (supported by TABtouch) (16 December 2023): (Group 3, $1.5m, 1400m – 104 nominations).
The Damien Oliver Gold Rush will bring down the curtain on Ollie’s glittering career, and is the final feature of The Pinnacles.
It’s the natural back up race to the Crown-Perth Winterbottom, and so it’s no surprise to see the majority of the sprinting stars nominated to appear at Ascot on 16 December.
It does also provide an opportunity for the runners in the Railway Stakes over a mile to drop back 200m – which is the option given to the likes of ALSEPHINA, BUSTLER for Neville Parnham, KARLI’S KARMA for Summer Dickson and MINSK MOMENT for Chris Waller.
Ciaron Maher & David Eustace have an interesting potential contender in NUGGET, who holds a nomination for the Cox Plate and ran fourth in the $5m King Charles III stakes on Saturday at Randwick.
AMELIA’S JEWEL heads the nominations from Western Australia, alongside the ever popular RED CAN MAN, RESORTMAN, STARTRADE, SNOWDOME, MY BELLA MAE and SEARCHIN’ ROC’S.
Damien Oliver’s Retirement Round
Saturday 16 December 2023 is a day that will go down in racing history, as the final chapter in the epic career of Damien Oliver.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – jockeys ever to straddle a thoroughbred, Ollie will take to the track for the final time in the $1.5m Damien Oliver Gold Rush (sponsored by TABtouch) at Ascot Racecourse, in his beloved home state of Western Australia.
Perth Racing, TABtouch and Racing WA have collaborated to rename the $1.5m Gold Rush in Damien Oliver’s honour for 2023, in recognition of an extraordinary career that has spanned five decades and yielded 129 Group 1 victories – so far.
Damien Oliver said:
“Although it feels very odd to know there’s now a definite last ride in my career, I’m hugely excited that it’s going to be at Ascot, back where my story began so many years ago. It’s a real honour to have the Gold Rush carry my name for 2023 and I’ll be doing everything possible to go out on a winner!”
Ollie is expected to ride across the feature days of The Pinnacles series, which hosts some of the best racing in the world at the time, including three Group 1 events - The Furphy Railway Stakes, The Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes and The Drummond Golf Northerly Stakes - all worth $1.5m, across consecutive Saturdays at Ascot.
David Hunter, Chief Racing Officer at Racing WA commented:
“The entire racing fraternity of Western Australia is excited at the prospect of Ollie riding at The Pinnacles. For him to have chosen to finish his career in his home state is a testament to the regard in which he holds racing here in Perth, and his lifelong ties to the people that helped launch his incredible journey. We’re so pleased to be able to pay homage to Ollie by naming the Gold Rush in his honour for this year – and it’s so fitting to know that will be the final ride of his stellar career.”
Western Australia's premier thoroughbred racing carnival continues to elevate the sport's profile both regionally and nationally, with increased prize money, top-class races, greater attendance and growing excitement year on year.
With 16 black-type races spanning various distances across the five race days of The Pinnacles, over $10.5 million in prize money beckons contenders in 2023.
The Pinnacles series proudly embraces a Western Australian theme, showcasing the region's finest food and beverages. Key features include the Northerly Stakes, paying homage to the legendary WA racehorse, and the Gold Rush, a name chosen by the WA community via The West Australian newspaper, symbolising the glamour and historical roots of the state's prosperity.
James Oldring, Perth Racing CEO, summed it up in saying, "Ascot Racecourse is set to come alive with the most thrilling racing action this November and December, with Australia’s best thoroughbreds heading for Ascot. To have Damien Oliver ride his last race on the final day of The Pinnacles is just sensational – it’s racing history in the making and we are honoured to be a part of it!"