Racing Confidential: 2024 Railway Stakes winner Port Lockroy’s next target revealed

Trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald think Railway Stakes champ Port Lockroy could measure up in the Doncaster Mile next year … but they’ve got another big race in mind in the meantime.

Port Lockroy, the excellent winner of last Saturday’s Group 1 Railway Stakes, is poised to contest the Group 2 $2 million The Ingham at Royal Randwick on December 14.

The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained galloper gave the training duo their second Group 1 winner in partnership with an excellent victory at Ascot last weekend.

Rather than progress to the Northerly Stakes in Western Australia, Port Lockroy will line up in his home state.

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The Ingham, previously known as the Villiers Stakes, offers ballot exemption to the Group 1 $4 million Doncaster Mile in April.

Archibald believes the Doncaster wouldn’t be beyond Port Lockroy in the autumn.

“I think he is still improving, he’s still lightly raced and physically he is really starting to mature,” he said.

“I couldn’t see while he couldn’t head to a race like that.”

🏅 Newington Farm Speller & Pre-Trainer Success🏅 PORT LOCKROY (Better Than Ready X Freezethemillions) wins the Gr.1 Railway Stakes for @ANeashamRacing Congrats to @gobloodstockaus & owners + @clint_jporter on his first Gr.1 victory. #newingtonfarm@[e-mail]/dJIyVP9ae5

— Newington Farm (@newington_farm) November 24, 2024

Archibald and Neasham could be set for a big day at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with Mighty Ulysses ($10) set to headline the stable’s assault on the Group 3 $250,000 Festival Stakes (1600m).

• TURF TALK: Mitch Cohen’s $17 value bet at Rosehill on Saturday

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TWENTY-ONE winners is the mark young gun Zac Lloyd has set Sydney’s apprentices to chase down to break his premiership stranglehold.

Lloyd has been a revelation in recent years, winning the past two premierships and will begin life as a senior rider on Saturday with a healthy book of 10 rides at Rosehill Gardens.

He moves into the next phase of his career as a clear leader but will it be enough to see him become the just the fourth apprentice – and first in more than 40 years – to win a hat-trick of premierships?

Zac Lloyd has completed his apprenticeship and is now a fully-fledged jockey

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) November 26, 2024

It would seem unlikely with a host of emerging talent hunting him down and with eight months to do it.

Zac Wadick leads the chasing pack on 11 winners with Ben Osmond (nine winners) and Molly Bourke (six winners)

All will ride at Rosehill on Saturday and are looking forward to capitalise on chances over the quieter summer months.

“All the big jockeys are starting to spread out now after the carnival so it gives us apprentices to have a good go again and get our name in those feature races,” Bourke said.

There is no doubt Lloyd will be a hard act to follow but the chance to add your name to Sydney’s rich honour roll is an easy motivator.

• RACEWATCH: Shayne O’Cass’s race-by-race tips, analysis for Rosehill on Saturday

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ROSEHILL Gardens looks destined to be rain-affected on Saturday but punters will have to take a cautious approach when racing returns to the Western Sydney track this weekend.

“We were looking at about 17mm on Friday throughout the day and then throughout the day on Saturday there is 21mm all up,” Rosehill Gardens deputy racecourse manager David Morrison said.

“We are looking at a bit of (wet) weather so that’s why we eased off our irrigation since Monday.”

🚨TAB Track Report 🚨

The latest on the track at Rosehill Gardens ahead of Festival Stakes Day. @racing_nsw | @tabcomau | @SkyRacingAU | @7horseracing

🌤Weather Tracker: https://t.co/kUtjvi6mRJpic.twitter.com/9zjqjSrqvr

— Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) November 27, 2024

The Rosehill Gardens track has enjoyed a freshen up following the Five Diamonds meeting on November 9.

The rail will be in the true position.

Originally published as Racing Confidential: 2024 Railway Stakes winner Port Lockroy’s next target revealed