Star galloper Western Empire is set to use Saturday week’s Group 3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) as his key lead-up run to the Group 1 MCA Pollytrack-Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on November 30.
The Grant and Alana Williams-trained galloper won a 950m trial at Lark Hill earlier this morning, his second trial for the preparation.
Jockey William Pike settled Western Empire on the speed in a three-wide position and narrowly beat Devine Belief.
Western Empire’s co-trainer Alana Williams said she was pleased with the effort.
“I was very happy with him and, more importantly, Willie was very happy with him,” Williams told Racing WA Thoroughbreds.
“He sat a fair way off the fence so he could do a little bit, and he worked to the line under not too much pressure.
“It was a good gallop for him.”
The Williams team gave some thought to running Western Empire in the Winterbottom Stakes first-up, however he’s now expected to have a run prior to the Group 1.
Williams said the Colonel Reeves Stakes was the right starting point for Western Empire.
“He will more than likely go to the Colonel Reeves,” she said.
“It’ll set him up really good for the 1200 and the 1400.
“He’s going super.”
TABtouch has Western Empire on the third line of betting at $8 for the Winterbottom Stakes, behind only defending champion Overpass ($3.10) and Everest winner Bella Nipotina ($5.50).
The son of Iffraaj is also the $6.50 betting site favourite for the $1.5 million Gold Rush (1400m) next month.
Meanwhile, Williams said Kalgoorlie Cup winner Starry Heights would take his place in this week’s Listed Luckygray Stakes (1800m).
