An outstanding cast of equine stars set to head to Perth for The Pinnacles; potentially huge raiding party from the eastern states headed by leading trainers Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher, James Cummings, Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald, Bjorn Baker and Ben, Will & JD Hayes.
Western Australia is set to take the global 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 (supported by TABtouch).
Eastern States Trainers prepare for Western raid
Racing WA and Perth Racing have unveiled the first stage nominations for The Pinnacles, which begins on November 16 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 almost $11m in prizemoney over the course of The Pinnacles. From the eastern seaboard, Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Ciaron Maher leads the way with nineteen (19) horses across thirty one (31) nominations which include star sprinting mare BELLA NIPOTINA and fellow Everest contender I AM ME. Champion trainer Chris Waller is also well represented with a team of nine (9) horses across nineteen (19) nominations, but there is serious depth in the interstate challenge, with representation from Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, James Cummings for Godolphin, Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald, Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman, Quokka-winning trainer Bjorn Baker, Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young, Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea, Cliff Brown, Troy & Leon Corstens & Will Larkin, Richard & Will Freedman, Ben, Will & JD Hayes, Robbie Griffiths & Mathew De Kock, Grahame Begg, Matthew Dale and Anthony Cummings.
The home team is headed by the likes of OSCAR’S FORTUNE – placed in both a MCA Polytrack Winterbottom and a Kia Quokka and an excellent second at Caulfield on Saturday in the G2 Schillaci Stakes – ALSEPHINA, runner up in last year’s Railway Stakes, and another to run a great race at Caulfield over the weekend, finishing third in the G1 Toorak Handicap, and ZIPAWAY, winner of the WA Guineas last year, and beaten into third by a matter of inches in the TABtouch Northerly Stakes, behind DOM TO SHOOT and ZAAKI.
Last year’s Swan Draught-Railway Stakes winner, BUSTLER, is set to defend his crown for champion trainer Neville Parnham, and star WA sprinter RIPCORD looks to go better than last year’s performances of two excellent placings in the Winterbottom and Gold Rush for his handler Luke Fernie.
ALMIGHTY CLASS, for Mitchell Pateman, was an impressive winner at Ascot’s Opening Day and he features in nominations for all four of the carnival’s $1.5m feature events.
Perth Racing CEO, James Oldring extends a warm welcome to all potential interstate challengers:
“We are – as has been the case for the past few years – delighted with the quality of 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. We have record numbers of nominating interstate trainers, so my thanks to all of them for their support.
“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. 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 prizemoney, and the bragging rights, stay right here in Perth.”
To download the full list of nominations, click here.
Nominations break down across feature races as follows:
Day 1 – Champion Fillies’ Day (16 November 2024): Kicking off with Champion Fillies’ Stakes (Group 2, $300k, 1600m – nominations close 12 November) and the Placid Ark Stakes (Listed, $500k, 1200m 71 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, featuring WIND AND THE LION from the stables of Sean & Jake Casey, HORCRUX for Simon Miller and the first three home in the Max Simmonds Stakes; CHARINO for Brett Pope, WEST STAR, also for Simon Miller and SINFUL LIVING, for Dan & Ben Pearce.
Day 2 – Swan Draught Railway Stakes Day (23 November 2024): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1600m – 108 nominations) and the WA Guineas (Group 2, $500k, 1600m – 86 nominations).
The Swan Draught-Railway Stakes nominations are headlined by multiple G1 winner SOUTHPORT TYCOON for the powerful Ciaron Maher stable. A recent winner of the G1 Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley, the horse is also a G1 Australian Guineas victor. SOUTHPORT TYCOON is one of nine nominations from the Maher stable for the Railway, others include UK-import BERKSHIRE SHADOW, a Royal Ascot winner of the G2 Coventry Stakes, and DETONATOR JACK, who boasts over $1.5m in prize money.
Chris Waller has also nominated a team of nine for the race, which includes Group 2 winner OSIPENKO, and the ultra-consistent KOVALICA, runner up in the G1 Epsom and victorious in the G1 Queensland Derby, a winner of over $3m. Joining them are CHRYSAOR, a G2 winner with over $1m in prize money and REDIENER, victorious in the 2023 G1 Epsom Handicap.
Godolphin and trainer James Cummings are represented by PERICLES, a multiple G2 winner with over $4.1m in prize money and TOM KITTEN, winner of the 2023 G1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick.
DESERT LIGHTNING for Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman is a G1 winner in NZ and ran an outstanding race to finish fourth in the G1 Toorak Handicap under top weight recently.
GENTLEMAN ROY, from the stable of Ben, Will & JD Hayes is a G2 winner, who last start finished an excellent third in the G1 Memsie Stakes behind the likes of PINSTRIPED and MR BRIGHTSIDE. From the same stables is HERE TO SHOCK, a four-time Black Type winner, looking to add to that tally.
Gary Portelli has nominated two-time black type winner KIMOCHI, who has also been placed three times at the highest level – and who was a last start fourth placed finisher in the exceptional running of the G1 Manikato Stakes behind SOUTHPORT TYCOON.
The home challenge is headed by last year’s winner, BUSTLER, for trainer Neville Parnham, alongside stable companion and last year’s WA Guineas winner ZIPAWAY. WESTERN EMPIRE heads a strong cast of nominations from the leading WA-stables of Grant & Alana Williams – alongside YONGA LASS, PETROUCHKA, WA Derby runner-up BUCKET’S RIDGE and Perth Cup winner, CASINO SEVENTEEN.
The Sky Racing WA Guineas is headlined by SEPTEMBER BORN, who has a huge reputation despite only having been seen on the racetrack once thus far in his career – for a facile win at Belmont. Trainer Neville Parnham has made no secret of the regard in which he holds the son of Playing God.
However, there are a raft of nominations from interstate trainers, including Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald, Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman and Troy and Leon Corstens & Will Larkin.
Day 3 – MCA Polytrack Winterbottom Stakes Day (30 November 2024): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1200m – 78 nominations).
The MCA Polytrack Winterbottom Stakes has attracted an outstanding field of sprinters, headed by Ascot specialist, OVERPASS. Bjorn Baker’s star is three from three at the track, boasting back to back victories in the $5m Kia Quokka and a G1 Winterbottom – he’s become a favourite with WA racing fans, and it’ll take a huge performance to lower his colours in November.
However, there is no shortage of quality sprinters looking to take him on, including WA stars OSCAR’S FORTUNE, who has run him close in the past and G1 winner WESTERN EMPIRE, from the Grant & Alana Williams yard.
Ciaron Maher has nominated a stellar cast of sprinters, led by the phenomenal mare, BELLA NIPOTINA – a multiple G1 winner who boasts total winnings of over $9.3m. She’s nominated alongside stablemates SOUTHPORT TYCOON, and I AM ME, an outstanding winner of the G2 The Shorts at Randwick who is set to contest the $20m Everest this coming Saturday. Maher also has dual stakes winner ESTRIELLA, who finished fourth in the G1 Moir Stakes earlier in the year.
Also featuring in the nominations is another Everest contender, STEFI MAGNETICA – from the stables of Bjorn Baker. Winner of the 2024 G1 Stradbroke Handicap, she was runner up to I AM ME in The Shorts and is scheduled to line up in the Newgate Farm slot for The Everest.
Another Group 1 winner in the lists is SUNSHINE IN PARIS from the Neasham/Archibald stable – a previous winner of the Surround Stakes, and twice a winner of the G2 Sheraco, she could feature alongside stablemate LADY LAGUNA, herself a G1 winner, in the 2024 Canterbury Stakes.
Tony & Calvin McEvoy have nominated one of their stable stars, the popular VEIGHT – winner of the 2024 G1 George Ryder Stakes.
Day 4 – TABtouch Northerly Stakes Day (7 December 2024): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1800m – 142 nominations).
An outstanding set of nominations – both in terms of quality and quantity, with an astonishing 142 horses in the lists, which include WA Derby winner A LOT OF GOOD MEN, outstandingly consistent G1 performer ALSEPHINA, HOO YA MAL – runner up in the 2022 G1 Epsom Derby in the UK, now trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, PERICLES for Godolphin and former Railway Stakes winner TRIX OF THE TRADE.
As expected, many of the leading lights nominated for the Swan Draught-Railway Stakes are also in the running for the TABtouch-Northerly Stakes, including BUSTLER, ZIPAWAY and ALMIGHTY CLASS.
Superstar WA-mare AMELIA’S JEWEL has been nominated by Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald to potentially return to the scene of her Group 1 triumph – aiming to recapture her Northerly Stakes crown, which she first won in 2022 as a three year old.
Chris Waller has the 2023 Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner REDIENER nominated alongside seven others.
Given the outstanding record of three year olds in the race, it’s no surprise to see a host of the top-rated in that age bracket in the lists, including WEST STAR, SEPTEMBER BORN and HORCRUX.
Day 5 – Gold Rush Day (14 December 2024): (Group 3, $1.5m, 1400m – 118 nominations).
The Gold Rush will bring down the curtain The Pinnacles; with the $1.5m showcase having provided a piece of racing history in 2023 thanks to the victory of Damien Oliver on MUNHAMEK – his last ride on Australian soil.
It’s the natural back up race to the MCA Polytrack Winterbottom, and so it’s no surprise to see the majority of the sprinting stars nominated to appear at Ascot on 14 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 last year’s runner up RIPCORD and OLENTIA, amongst many others.
THE ASTROLOGIST is a notable nomination from the Corstens/Larkin stable – looking to reclaim the crown he won in 2022, the inaugural running of the race.
BELLA NIPOTINA is an interesting inclusion, having proven her ability to cope with the 1400m distance thanks to two starts over 1400m at Eagle Farm, finishing runner up in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap before taking out the G1 Tatts Tiara. Ciaron Maher also nominates six-time Black Type winner REVOLUTIONARY MISS.
The Damien Oliver Stand & Ollie’s Bar
On Saturday 12 October 2024, Opening Day of the Ascot Racing Carnival, Damien Oliver officially opened the newly renamed Damien Oliver Stand, featuring Ollies’ Bar.
The bar is open to the public and features a wonderful collection of memorabilia from Ollie’s career – including personal photos, trophies, equipment and images of all 129 of his Group 1 winners.
About The Pinnacles
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, almost $11 million in prizemoney beckons contenders in 2024.
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.