KIRIN-RAILWAY STAKES

(GROUP 1 HANDICAP)

THE Bob Peters-homebred Galaxy Star won Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot in Perth for trainers Grant and Alana Williams with William Pike in the saddle. The win completed a feature race running double for the co-trainers, jockey and owner, as they’d combined to win the Group 2 West Australian Guineas with the Pierro filly Arcadia Queen 35 minutes earlier.

A lightly raced six-year-old mare by Redoute’s Choice, this was just Galaxy Star’s 13th start, 10 of which she has won. “This is the hardest race in the state to win,” said Peters who celebrated four wins for the day.

“When she was so far back early I thought here we go again but you could see as they came around the corner you could see she was travelling. We have aimed her for this race since she was a foal.”

Another eye-catching win for Peters, also trained by Grant and Alana Williams, was the victory of the High Chaparral mare Mississippi Delta in the Listed Tattersalls Cup over 2,100 metres. She looks likely to progress to January’s Perth Cup over 2,400 metres.

O’CONNOR TRIUMPHS

Co Kerry’s Donal O’Connor took the biggest win of his training career in last weeks $150,000 R.J. Peters Stakes with his five-year-old Izmar gelding Freo winning by a half-length in the 1,500-metre Group 3 at Ascot.

Twelve months ago O’Connor had Star Value in fine form winning in December before running seventh in the Group 2 Perth Cup but he now has sights set on a Group 1 start as he weighs up whether to pay the late entry fee for the 1,800 metre Kingston Town Classic on December 8th.

“It’s just a big relief. Even if he ran second I would have been delighted, but to win a Group 3 … it’s great,” said O’Conor.

“This horse just never lets us down and we’re over the moon. You work hard every morning seven days a week and to have a horse put it together as quick as he (Freo) has this prep, it’s still a bit of a shock.”