Perth scorcher sees Ascot’s Group 1 Railway Stakes delayed to later in the day

With a 38-degree scorcher forecast for this Saturday, Perth’s chief steward has pushed back and condensed Ascot’s Group 1 Railway Stakes meeting.

The Chris Waller-trained Roots (left, with jockey Tommy Berry) and Victorian raider Tuvalu (right) are fighting out Group 1 Railway Stakes favouritism with local star Alsephina. Pictures: File

With a heatwave hitting Perth and a 38-degree scorcher forecast for Group 1 Railway Stakes day, the marquee Perth meeting will start hours later and have some condensed gaps between races.

The mercury is soaring in the western capital, with a 40-degree day forecast on Thursday and the temperature tipped to only dip slightly for Saturday.

Stewards had been going to leave it until Friday before making a decision, based on the latest advice from the weather bureau, on how to handle Saturday’s nine-race card which includes the $1.5 million Railway Stakes.

Barrier draw done for the Group 1 Railway Stakes!

Who's your tip? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/DnO2v1Tu9H

— TABtouch (@TAB_touch) November 21, 2023

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But chief steward Brad Lewis revealed on Wednesday he had already agreed to the different times and the best races will be run at twilight.

The first race will be run at 2.05pm (Perth time), about two hours after when it is usually run, and the last race will be at 6.41pm.

The Railway will be raced at 6.09pm Perth time, which is 9.09pm in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT.

“We always would rather that if we had to make changes it would be to times of races, and go back as late as we can in the afternoon and condense the meeting,” Lewis told Racenet.

“That way we might get a bit of relief thanks to the sea breeze, what we call the Fremantle Doctor. That could bring the temperatures down a bit.

“Ascot is an interesting place, it can be quite still there. You can get a soothing coastal breeze, but sometimes it takes a while to hit there.”

Trix Of The Trade has landed barrier 1 in the Gr.1 Railway Stakes. We spoke with jockey Troy Turner as the pair try to repeat history…#TheRacesWApic.twitter.com/8nRewxI2a5

— The Races WA (@TheRacesWA) November 21, 2023

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Lewis said latest temperature modelling revealed there could be a “slight cooling effect” about 2.30pm Saturday.

He admitted it could be a headache trying to squeeze the nine races into a sawn-off program, with shorter gaps between races.

“One issue is you have a sunset clause where you have got to try and finish within half an hour of sunset,” Lewis said.

“You don’t want to be racing when it’s too dark.

“Any appetite to shift venues is a difficult one, everything is set up at Ascot and to move anywhere else would be almost impossible.”

Jockey William Pike (pictured) will partner star local mare Alsephina in the Group 1 Railway Stakes. Picture: AAP.

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The heatwave drama is the latest issue for the Perth carnival after Ascot races were called off with one race to go last Saturday, with concern over a patch of “blocked” turf.

It won’t be an issue for the next two Group 1 Saturdays, with the rail to be moved out substantially to avoid the turf which is currently being replaced.

“Blocking refers to the situation where a square section of new turf is put in; you dig out an area and ‘block’ it with that new turf,” Lewis said.

“So that section of turf looks a bit different to the remainder of the track.

“We were putting grass clippings over it and that was masking it, but from a visual point of view a couple of horses picked it up.

“Horses, being the inquisitive things they are, a couple of them looked at that area, one had a miss-stride there and Red Can Man, quite an experienced racehorse, tried to leap it.

“So we had to move the rail and the alignment of the rail wasn’t perfect and that is what then caused that bit of congestion around the corner.”

Originally published as Perth scorcher sees Ascot’s Group 1 Railway Stakes delayed to later in the day