Outstanding nominations received for WA’s feature races, including the 10-time Group 1 winner MR BRIGHTSIDE and former Everest winner GIGA KICK.
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 series, which begins on November 15 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 there’s strong representation from the leading stables of Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott, Ciaron Maher, Annabel & Rob Archibald, Bjorn Baker, Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman, Ben, Will & JD Hayes, Richard & Will Freedman, Clayton Douglas and Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr.
The home team is headed by JOKERS GRIN, nominated for the MCA Polytrack-Winterbottom Stakes and the Gold Rush, and winner of this year’s $5m Kia Quokka, alongside WESTERN EMPIRE, winner of the $1.5m Gold Rush in December last year. Also featured is WA 3YO horse of the year, MACHINE GUN GRACIE and last season’s star 2YO and recent winner of the Unite Resourcing-Max Simmonds Stakes, TALKANCO.
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. We look forward to extending a very warm welcome to everyone who travels from the east coast – our home team will no doubt be all out to ensure the bulk of the prizemoney, and the bragging rights, stay right here in Perth.”
To view the full list of nominations, click here.
Nominations break down across feature races as follows:
Day 1 – Quayclean Champion Fillies’ Day (15 November 2025): kicking off with Champion Fillies’ Stakes (Group 2, $300k, 1600m) and the Placid Ark Stakes (Listed, $500k, 1200m, 77 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 TALKANCO, winner of last year’s G2 Karrakatta Plate who took out the feature race of Ascot’s Opening Day on 11 October, the Unite Resourcing-Max Simmonds Stakes.
Other noteworthy entries include the unbeaten PLAYIN’ IT SWEET, YES QUEEN and placed horses from the Max Simmonds Stakes, LUANA MISS, ROSTISLAV and SNITZALATTE.
Day 2 – Swan Draught-Railway Stakes Day (22 November 2025): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1600m, 82 nominations) and the Sky Racing WA Guineas (Group 2, $500k, 1600m, 94 nominations).
The Swan Draught-Railway Stakes nominations are headlined by last year’s winner PORT LOCKROY for Annabel & Rob Archibald, seeking to retain his title. There’s stiff competition from the likes of G1 TABtouch Northerly Stakes winner, Ciaron Maher’s LIGHT INFANTRY MAN – who also took out the 2025 G1 Australian Cup. Maher also has G1 George Ryder Stakes winner GRINGOTTS in the race. Other noteworthy nominees from the eastern states include multiple G1 winners STEFI MAGNETICA (for Bjorn Baker) and ROYAL PATRONAGE, trained by Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.
There is, as you would expect, strong representation from the home team for WA’s oldest G1, led by COSMIC CRUSADER, the current favourite for the race who carries the famous cerise and white silks of Bob Peters for trainer Michael Grantham.
Others to note include recent $1m Develop Golden Saddle winner MAGNIFICENT ANDY and last year’s $1.5m Gold Rush winner, WESTERN EMPIRE, for champion trainers Grant & Alana Williams.
Day 3 – MCA Polytrack-Winterbottom Stakes Day (29 November 2025): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1200m, 70 nominations).
The MCA Polytrack-Winterbottom Stakes has attracted an outstanding field of sprinters, headed by the outstanding sprinter, OVERPASS, who is looking to rekindle his love affair with Ascot to make history as the first horse ever to win three Winterbottom Stakes.
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, led by the emerging star of WA racing, JOKERS GRIN. Bernie Miller’s outstanding performer capped off a sensational season with a win in the $5m Kia Quokka in April and he’s primed for a huge carnival.
Throw into the mix former Everest winner, GIGA KICK, trained by Clayton Douglas – a winner of over $12.5m, the winner of the 2025 Goodwood, RESERVE BANK for Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr, 2024 G1 Goodwood victrix, Ciaron Maher’s BENEDETTA and WAR MACHINE for Team Hayes, himself a winner of almost $2.7m and victorious in the 2025 G1 Stradbroke Handicap.
Day 4 – TABtouch-Northerly Stakes Day (6 December 2023): (Group 1, $1.5m, 1800m, 133 nominations).
A huge number of nominations and, 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 the aforementioned LIGHT INFANTRY MAN (seeking to defend his title), STEFI MAGNETICA, WESTERN EMPIRE, GRINGOTTS and ROYAL PATRONAGE.
WA’S star 3YO filly of last season, MACHINE GUN GRACIE for trainer Justine Erkelens will be seeking to continue her stratospheric trajectory and could be the best of the home team, along with the highly touted SEPTEMBER BORN for Neville Parnham.
Day 5 – Gold Rush Day (13 December 2025): (Group 3, $1.5m, 1400m – 105 nominations).
The Gold Rush is the final feature of The Pinnacles.
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 13 December, including GIGA KICK, OVERPASS, JOKERS GRIN, WAR MACHINE and ARKANSAW KID.
It also provides 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 PERICLES, a winner of $5.77m, WESTERN EMPIRE, GRINGOTTS and COSMIC CRUSADER.
However, it’s the inclusion of 10-time G1 winner MR BRIGHTSIDE for Team Hayes that really catches the eye – one of the most popular horses in Australia, a three time winner of the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes and the winner of an astonishing $17.8m, he would likely be the star attraction of The Pinnacles carnival were he to make the trip to Perth from his Flemington base.
Western Australia’s premier thoroughbred racing carnival continues to elevate the sport’s profile both regionally and nationally, with outstanding levels of prizemoney, top-class races, greater attendance and growing excitement year on year.
With 17 black-type races spanning various distances across the five racedays of The Pinnacles, over $10.5 million in prize money beckons contenders in 2025.
The Pinnacles series proudly embraces a Western Australian theme, showcasing the region’s finest food and beverages. Key features include the Swan Draught-Railway Stakes, WA’s oldest Group 1 race, the MCA Polytrack-Winterbottom Stakes, 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.
For more information and updates, please visit Perth Racing’s website or Racing WA.
