- Race Date: 19th November 2022
- Race Category: Group I
- Race Track: Ascot Racecourse (Perth)
- Race Distance: 1600m
- Prize Money: $1,500,000
The Railway Stakes is a Grade 1 thoroughbred horse race reserved for three years and older runners. Introduced in 1887, the Railway Stakes is one of Ascot’s oldest horse races, one of the main features of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival in recent times. The race has held a Grade 1 status since 1979, while it was originally introduced as a principal race.
In the past, Railway Stakes has received participation from some of the best season milers, mostly coming from Western Australia. Locals have held an upper hand over the visitors. Most horses in the Railway Stakes come from the Lee Steere Stakes, a 1400m Group 2 race that has produced more Railway Stake winners than any other race in the past two decades. In 2017, Great Shot finished second at the Lee Steere and then went on to win the Railway Stakes.
If we look at the past trends, favourites have won the Railway Stakes five times during the past 15 years. This includes last year’s race winner Western Empire at $1.60 and Inspirational Girl in 2020 at $2.60. Galaxy Star had won the Railway Stakes in 2018 at $2.90, and Lucky Gray won in 2011.
A good betting tip is to watch out for the runners finishing in the first four in the Lee Steere Stakes. Four-year-old runners have displayed the best strike rates in recent races, winning 26 of the last 63 races. For instance, 2019’s winner Regal Power and 2021’s Railway Stakes winner Western Empire are the latest four-year-olds to win the race.
