By Dane Squance
With the eastern state raiders possessing the key in the final Australian Group 1 race of the year, the A$1 million G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot, a trio of locally-trained 3-year-olds hold the weight advantage to cause upset. Third over 2000m at his most recent start when finishing behind Tosen Stardom (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn} and Happy Clapper (Aus) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Mackinnon S. Nov. 11, the James Cummings-trained It's Somewhat (Dynaformer) won a local barrier trial recently and connections have always indicated this was his campaign target.
A winner of the G1 Doncaster H. in April of this year, the 7-year-old gelding is likely to find multiple Group 1 winner Black Heart Bart (Aus) (Blackfriars {Aus}) the hardest to defeat. A narrow second behind Great Shot (Aus) (Magnus {Aus}) in the traditional lead-up, the G1 Railway S. over 1600m two weeks ago, the Darren Weir-trained gelding has been racing as if Saturday's distance is going to be ideal, a distance he claimed the 2016 G1 Underwood S.
Finishing ninth when contesting the 2015 Kingston Town Classic behind 3-year-old filly Perfect Reflection (Aus) (More Than Ready), is another filly of the same age that looks capable of making a race with the top-rated pair. Carrying the minimum of 50kg, the Bob and Sandra Peters-owned Perfect Jewel (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) comes into the race off four wins from just five starts highlighted by a last start victory in the G2 W.A. Guineas (1600m) Nov. 25 over Achernar Star (Aus) (Gingerbread Man {Aus}), who she meets here again.
Out of the top two just once from eight starts, Achernar Star will carry just 52kgs and from one of the inside barriers and jockey Chris Parnham should be able to get the gelding well positioned in the run and ready to strike on the home turn. Yet to really run a bad race since joining the Waller stable, perennial placegetter Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) produced a fighting effort for third in the G1 Railway S., and is capable of once again doing the same here, but he just lacks that winning capability, recording six placed efforts from his last seven starts, three times a Group 1 level.
Although a big priced winner of the G1 Railway S. last start, the Rhys Radford-trained Great Shot has the form to be competitive, as long as the significant weight rise and barrier 12 pose no issue for the 5-year-old.
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