Racing: Trusting set for A$1m race

Photo / Richard Robinson

Melbourne jockey James Winks says his mount Trusting has settled in beautifully in Perth for his shot at today's Group One A$1 million ($1.27 million) Railway Stakes at Ascot.

Winks has ridden the John Thompson-trained four-year-old twice to date including when he ran a tremendous race from barrier 14 to finish fifth to Wall Street in the Emirates Stakes over the Railway distance of 1600m at Flemington two weeks ago.

The Tale Of The Cat entire was beaten only three-quarters of a length after striking interference near the 1000m.

He has drawn nicely in barrier five today and looks capable of notching a Group One success for Thompson and owner Nathan Tinkler's Patinack Farm Racing Syndicate.

Thompson and Tinkler have had five Group One second placings so far this spring with Trusting providing two of them in the George Main Stakes and the Epsom Handicap.

The others were No Evidence Needed in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Run For Levi in the Caulfield Guineas and Heartsareforlove in the Thousand Guineas.

"From all reports he's gone over there and he's loving life at the moment," Winks said of Trusting.

"We all know how much Nathan Tinkler pumps into the industry.

"He and John Thompson have been good supporters of mine and I could think of nothing better than to win a Group One million-dollar race for them."

Thompson, whose only Group One success to date was with Small Minds in the 2010 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville, will also saddle up Gathering (A$21) who'll be ridden by Craig Williams.

Trusting is A$6 second pick with TAB Sportsbet behind the heavily supported Colour Correct who has been backed in from A$7 to A$4.80 favouritism.

Last year's winner Sniper's Bullet, drawn out wide in gate 15, is at A$8.50 with other eastern states raiders, topweight Black Piranha at A$14 and Triple Honour at A$21.

Apart from Colour Correct, the best of the locals in the betting are Famous Roman at A$8.50, Inarticulate at A$14, last year's runner-up Tarzi at A$17 and second emergency Ranger at A$18.

Colour Correct finished third in the Railway Stakes last year.

Sniper's Bullet is one of only two eastern-trained raiders to trump the locals in the Railway Stakes from the past decade, the other being Mick Price's Slavonic in 1999.

- AAP