Australian Racing: Naval College to teach rivals a lesson

There are a number of meetings set to take place on Saturday including at Ascot, where the feature is the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.

Race 8 Ascot

Western Empire @ 3.80

Race 8 Caulfield

Naval College @ 7.00

Race 8 Rosehill

St Lawrence @ 5.50

Western Empire to take Winterbottom Stakes

The previously mentioned Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes comes up as the penultimate race on a nine-race program at Ascot.

The 1200m contest has attracted a field of 16, with a good 4 track expected for the race.

Last year’s winner Overpass is expected to jump as favourite, having registered two wins from three starts this year.

The first of those wins came over this course and distance when racing on a sound surface in April.

This six-year-old was spelled following that effort, resuming with a one-and-a-half-length success in the Group 3 Sydney Stakes over this distance at Randwick last month.

The son of Vancouver raced on a wet track that day and went on to finish eighth in the 1200m Group 1 Champions Sprint at Flemington three weeks ago.

Bjorn Baker’s sprinter has a wide barrier to overcome here, however, and WESTERN EMPIRE is preferred on this occasion.

The gelding won twice in Group 3 company at Belmont earlier this year, including by a narrow margin in the 1400m Belmont Sprint on good going.

Two odds-on defeats followed that prep, including when stepped up to 2000m for the Group 3 Strickland Stakes at Belmont in June.

The drop back to 1100m didn’t appear to inconvenience the Iffraaj gelding when resuming with a second in the Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes at this venue a fortnight ago.

William Pike’s mount boasts an inside barrier here and the New Zealand-bred looks capable of registering his seventh win in 14 starts at this venue.

Naval College for Caulfield victory

The Group 2 Zipping Classic over 2400m comes up as the eighth race on a 10-race card at Caulfield.

Bjorn Baker looks to hold a strong hand in this contest, with Arapaho expected to feature towards the head of the market.

The eight-year-old gelding was beaten less than a length when fourth at $51 in the Group 3 Craven Plate over 1800m at Randwick last month.

Arapaho went on to finish a good six lengths fifth in the Group 1 Champions Stakes over 2000m at Flemington subsequently.

Both of those efforts saw him ridden cold when racing on a good 4 track and he is expected to appreciate the extra distance he gets here.

NAVAL COLLEGE takes the eye here for the Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald team, having registered two good efforts in defeat this prep.

The first of those saw the gelding beaten one-and-a-half-lengths when finishing sixth in the previously mentioned Group 3 Craven Plate at Randwick.

Naval College stepped up in distance for The New Zealand Bloodstock Beauford, a Listed handicap held over 2300m at Newcastle two weeks ago.

The gelding was beaten less than a length when placing third on that occasion and should appreciate the return to this distance.

Naval College hasn’t been seen in action over this distance since taking out Warwick Farm’s Listed Australia Day Cup in January and he looks up to recording his second win of the year.

St Lawrence for Festival success

The highlight at Rosehill is the eighth race of the day, the Group 3 James Squire Festival Stakes.

A good 4 track is expected for the 1500m contest, with ST LAWRENCE taken to register a win having shown good form in recent months.

St Lawrence broke through for his first win of the year when successful by over half-a-length in a 1600m Benchmark 94 handicap contest.

The gelding duly followed up when getting home by a narrow margin in the 1600m Little Dance over the same track and trip earlier this month.

Both of those efforts came on a sound surface and, jumping from barrier eight, the New Zealand-bred gelding looks up to making a successful step up to Group 3 company.