A high percentage of feature races in Western Australia since the start of summer have produced riveting finishes … the most recent example being Western Empire’s last stride win in the Group 3 Hyperion Stakes at Belmont last Saturday … and that competitive trend seems likely to continue when ten runners step out to contest the Listed Raconteur Stakes over 1400m at Belmont on Saturday.
Half of the field are last start winners, including the unbeaten Too Darn Hot filly, Hot And High, who has five wins from five starts to her credit over distances ranging from 1000m to 1400m … with that 1400m victory coming in Listed company in the Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic at Ascot.
Hot And High is trained by Dion Luciani. Lucy Fiore, who was not in the saddle in Hot And High’s last two wins, but who has won on her twice before, gets back in the saddle. Hot And High, who has started at odds of $1.95 or shorter in his last four starts with bookies, will be third-up here.
The Michael Grantham trained Westbound will be looking to extend a winning sequence of his own following scoring back-to-back wins in his past two starts. His four wins from only six starts tells the story of his above average prowess.
He has won twice over 1400m and showed his versatility last time when stretching out to 1800m and saluting with something in hand.
In his two recent wins he started at odds of $1.95 and $1.40, suggesting that the odds could again be a pointer to his expected performance. Chris Parnham takes the ride on Westbound who will jump from the worst of the draw (barrier ten out of ten).
The Grant and Alana Williams trained duo of Ladies Pro and Esta Miranda along with Daniel and ben Pearce trained A Summer Fling are the three other last start winners in the lineup.
The standout factor here is that top jockey Willie Pike takes the ride on Ladies Pro, who has won half of her six starts. The stable companion Esta Miranda, who was ridden by Pike last time, is not far behind statistically with three wins from five starts. The chestnut will be ridden by Chloe Azzopardi.
A Summer Fling has won two from four starts. She will be ridden by Tash Faithfull, replacing Brad Parnham who moves to the Stephen Miller trained Peaceful Ruler.
And the competitive nature of the race does not end with those last winners.
Peaceful Ruler has won twice and finished second twice in his last four starts. Vatican Storm finished second when resuming last time after posting successive wins prior to being spelled. Western Ace also won back-to-back races … both over 1400m … before being spelled. He will be second up here after finishing unplaced when resuming.
Lanfranco, who will also be second-up, boasts three wins from his last five starts … so there is a warning in there as well, which only leaves Fiery Spark as the runner who could cause a real boilover, although his overall form suggests that is unlikely.
