Western Australia’s new star Perfect Reflection kept her winning record perfect with a photo finish victory in the Group 1 $1m Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth last Saturday.
Damien Oliver said that German galloper Magic Artist failed to handle the wet conditions in the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The Grant Williams trained Perfect Reflection made it five wins from five starts when she beat her stablemate Delicacy by a nose, giving the leading Perth trainer and prominent owner Bob Peters the quinella in the $1 million weight for age Perth Summer Carnival feature.
The Peters owned and Williams trained Neverland ($16) finished fourth while the Peters owned Real Love ($8), trained by Adam Durrant wound up in tenth position.
Winning jockey William Pike had the pick of the four Peters owned horses, but choose to stick with the unbeaten Perfect Reflection.
The leading hoop had to waste hard during the week in the lead up to the Kingston Town Classic to get down to the 50kg she was allocated under the weight for age conditions and her loyal band of followers also stuck with the More Than Ready filly, sending her out as the $4.40 favourite.
Stable supporters also threw their weight behind Delicacy who was equal second pick at $5 with German galloper Magic Artist.
Magic Artist had drawn the inside barrier but that became a disadvantage when the rain came during the day, forcing a down grade of the tack to a heavy 8, with jockey Damien Oliver reporting the he didn’t handle the wet conditions.
The win of Perfect Reflection gave Pike a great sense of achievement, vindicating his decision to select her over the other Peters owned runners.
“It felt a little bit more of an achievement this year, because I had to diet for the race and I had to build myself for the occasion,” Pike told Perth Racing News.
“It felt pretty good to do the extra effort and get the result.
“When you win the big ones that is what it is all about.”
“I actually got to the front too early and it left me a little vulnerable, but she has such a good finish and I was lucky to hold Delicacy out.”
Pike had the Perfect Reflection positioned in the second half of the field and made his move coming to the home turn before the filly exploded to the front at the 300m.
But Peter Hall on Delicacy gave chase and the dual Oaks and Derby winner showed her tenacity to get with a nose of her stablemate on the line.
Peters was surprised that Perfect Reflection was able to beat the older horses at only her first racing preparation.
“She is a great filly but I didn’t rate her that high that she could do this,” Peters said.
“I thought she was a nice filly but she had to prove herself.”
Perfect Reflection only began her racing career in September when she won a Pinjarra Maiden then kept her unbeaten record intact with wins at Belmont and Ascot before taking out the Group 3 $200,000 Breast Cancer Care- W.A. Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 14 before she lined up in the Kingston Town Classic.
