Insight Analysis
Talking Points: Railway Stakes Day 2025
We look at the key Timeform ratings from Railway Stakes Day.
Railway Stakes – Watch Me Rock (112)
Watch Me Rock ran a new peakTimeform
rating of 112 to win the Railway Stakes with Pike (as usual) pulling the right reign, opting to ride him over stablemate Western Empire who had to settle for second.He was given the perfect ride in an evenly run race with 54kg and simply proved too good late with Western Empire also given an outstanding ride by Billy Egan to settle as close as he did.
A rating of 112 is on the low side for a Railway Stakes. The mean Timeform winning rating since the turn of the century is 113.88, while the median is 113. Over the past ten years, that is a pound higher.
Interestingly, Grant Williams said post-race that Watch Me Rock was his "best one" in terms of Railway winners. A lot of that was to do with how the stable is structured, as the other five Railway winners he's had, four in conjunction with wife Alana, have all been in the Bob Peters colours.
In terms of comparing the sextet of winners for the stable, Western Empire's four-length romp in 2021 is clearly the best performance, running the equal highest Timeform rating in a Railway this century at 121.
Top mares Inspirational Girl and Galaxy Star both went 115, while Elite Belle and Watch Me Rock went 112 and Regal Power went 109 but quickly proved much better than that, his All Star Mile win rating 122.
112 for Watch Me Rock wasn't the highest rating performance on the day however.
Cosmic Crusader, long time favourite for the Railway, was unable to make the field last week when held up and resigned to the Carbine Club consolation, which he won dominantly.
He's run to a Timeform rating of 116 on Saturday, and done so in a definitively stronger time figure than the Railway. While plugging in ratings doesn't work as simply as that, I think it's objectively fair to say he'd have won the Railway more often than not if in the field, especially given he'd have carried 53kg.
The highest Timeform rating of the day however belongs to Railway runner up Western Empire who carried 58kg and was beaten under a length by Watch Me Rock, coming in at 119. He's gone very well, and it'll be interesting to see whether they go to The Northerly at 1800m or drop back to the Gold Rush at 1400m.
The market is suggesting it'll be to 1800m rather than coming back in trip. I can see the appeal of both although the Gold Rush is looking very thin without him.
WA Guineas – King Of Light (112)
King Of Light remained unbeaten with his best performance yet, taking the WA Guineas under yet another 10/10 ride from Pike.
A Timeform rating of 112 is the equal highest WA Guineas winner on record, tying with star filly Arcadia Queen, along with Megatic and Dr John in 2007 and 2004 respectively.
King Of Light ties the Railway winner Watch Me Rock at 112, becoming the first Guineas winner in nearly 20 years to equal or better the Railway winner. Since 2000, there have only been six horses to do so:
| Year | Guineas Winner | Rating | Railway Winner | Rating |
| 2002 | The Right Money | 108 | Old Fashion | 107 |
| 2004 | Dr John | 112 | Modem | 111 |
| 2005 | Cape North | 109 | Covertly | 104 |
| 2006 | Vain Crusader | 110 | Belle Bizzare | 110 |
| 2007 | Megatic | 112 | El Presidente | 111 |
| 2025 | King Of Light | 112 | Watch Me Rock | 112 |
A Timeform rating of 112 as the three-year-old clearly makes King Of Light the horse to beat in that race. Top three-year-olds do very well against the older horses, with 29 runners this century going from the Guineas to The Northerly for 5 winners, while the market has expected 3.78.
Arcadia Queen and Megatic, both 112 rating winners of the Guineas, went on to do the double and King Of Light profiles to be joining them.
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