Railway Stakes winner Scales Of Justice will head to Melbourne for next year’s Autumn Carnival to target the Group 1 $1.5m Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 11.
Good Project, above, ran second to Scales Of Justice in the Railway Stakes at Ascot. Photo by Steve Hart.
Hong Kong’s multiple premiership winning jockey Douglas Whyte produced an awesome front running ride to steer Scales Of Justice to a two and three quarter lengths win in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth last Saturday.
Winning trainer Lindsey Smith will now set Scales Of Justice for the Group 1 $1m Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in a fortnight and then send him for a short break before preparing him for the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
’He goes to 1800 metres in the Kingston Town in two weeks and then we’ll give him a break and have a look at the Australian Cup,’’ Smith told racing.com.
‘’He’d be well suited there on the pace over 2000 metres on that flat track.’’
Whyte only got the call up to ride Scales Of Justice when regular rider Paul Harvey was suspended for careless riding the previous week for causing interference on I Am Boudica in the Group 3 $200,000 W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes.
Harvey had been aboard Scales Of Justice for the majority of his races including a win two starts back in the Group 3 $150,000 R.J. Peters Stakes (1500m) at Ascot on November 12.
‘’I’ve been screaming to get him to take up the pace since he had his first start but Paul (Harvey) was of the opinion he needed nursing in his races, so when Douglas got aboard I told him to go the front and make them chase you and he did it brilliantly,” Smith said.
‘’He’s been threatening to do something like that as that’s the way he works at home and I think that’s the way he’s going to race from now on.’’
Smith has had previous success in the Australian Cup with Old Comrade beating fellow Western Australian champ Northerly in 2002 and the Perth trainer also took out the 2004 Group 1 $1.5m AAMI Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington with Plastered.
Smith returned to Melbourne twelve months later with Plastered who was unplaced from three runs including a seventh to Railings in the 2005 Group 1 $2.5m BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) at Caulfield.
Scales Of Justice will be facing almost the same field that he beat last Saturday when he lines up in the weight for age Kingston Town Classic which is likely to include Good Project, Perfect Reflection, Mackintosh and Tradesman who finished second to fifth in the Railway Stakes.
The Grant and Alana Williams trained Perfect Reflection was sent out as the $4.60 favourite when third to Scales Of Justice ($9) and Good Project ($9) in the Railway Stakes and has been installed the $4.40 top pick for the Kingston Town Classic with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Scales Of Justice and Mackintosh are sharing the second line of betting at $6 ahead of Railway Stakes sixth placegetter Kawi at $8 and Good Project at $9.
