3 minute read
Jaike Altieri's Best Bets for Winterbottom Stakes Day.
It's Winterbottom Stakes Day at Ascot this Saturday as we read the midway point of The Pinnacles for 2024.
The rail is out in the 7m position (entire circumference) with the track rated a Soft 5 as of Thursday morning.
As always, you can catch all the action on the track - as well as off it - live and free on 7Plus and Racing WA.
The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes is an interesting race with a number of betting angles.
Overpass comes in as the best horse in the race, though this is a different set up to his previous efforts in the west. Will that hurt or enhance his chances?
My good friend Trent Crebbin has provided a lovely preview of the Winterbottom Stakes which you can read here so you're in the know come raceday!
There's plenty to like on the undercard with the Regional Championships as well as a couple of Listed events to keep racegoers entertained throughout the day, and they'll need to be with my Best Bet coming up in the last.
MISS SKYHIGH got herself back into wining form last start when rounding up her rivals to win comfortably in easier company last time out.
While that was an easier grade of race, her figures suggest the rise into proper Saturday grade is well within her grasp.
She looks to get a similar run for Pike and if she can reproduce her latest figures, she'll be hard to catch in the run to the line.
Wubin Gold rocketed home to win two back and clocked fast sectionals over a fast time - something we love to see at Racing and Sports!
She had absolutely no luck last start, but now on the 7-day back-up and up to 1400m, there's enough questions for me to go against her this time around.
Miss Skyhigh had been trending like a very nice horse prior to this campaign and her win last start suggested she may be back on track to reach the level many though she would.
The Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic is one of the aforementioned Listed events supporting the Winterbottom Stakes, and LONDON'S IMAGE makes some appeal at her price.
Her bold front-running style is very exciting to watch, but it also forces horses out of their comfort zone as she makes her own luck up on the speed.
After winning the Burgess Queen, it took a strong effort from Wind And The Lion to run her down in the Placid Ark, with only 0.5L separating them there.
London's Image was caught three-wide in the Placid Ark and meets Wind And The Lion 2kgs better on Saturday.
She also draws a much better gate in a race that looks as though she is the main speed influence for Steve Parnham.
Happy to overlook her run last week in the W.A. Guineas as she just didn't see the mile out, but coming back to 1400m and in good order, she's worth keeping on side in the Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic.
Don't forget, you can get watch every minute of the Winterbottom Stakes Day coverage live and free on 7Plus and Racing WA.
The Best From The West
Best Bet: Race 9 #7 MISS SKYHIGH @ $3.40*
Next Best: Race 6 #3 LONDON'S IMAGE @ $7*
*Prices correct as of 4:15pm, November 30.
