Racing
A Closer Look – Winterbottom Stakes
Luana Miss will become just the fourth filly to contest the Winterbottom Stakes this century
Trevor Andrews took his time committing to a start in the Winterbottom Stakes with Luana Miss, which might have had something to do with the record of three-year-old girls in the race.
The 1200-metre race has only been a Group 1 since 2011, but has long been a feature sprint of the carnival now known as The Pinnacles and only once has a filly upstaged the boys in the weight-for-age contest.
That was Belinda's Star, 50 years ago.
Belinda's Star was the first filly to run top-three in the race that was first run in 1952 and there have only been four since; Burgess Queen (1977) and Alabama Whirly (1996), who both finished second, and third placegetters Ever Ready (1985) and Jungle Dawn (1986).
But rarely does a filly chance their arm against the seasoned campaigners, despite having to carry only 51.5kg.
My Bella Mae is the only one to run in it as a Group 1, finishing ninth in 2022, while Hips Don't Lie (ninth, 2008) and Refemme (12th, 2004) are the only others since the turn of the millennium.
It is not just the girls who have struggled as three-year-olds with only five colts or geldings adorning the honour roll and none since Hardrada in 2002.
That was the first of back-to-back wins fort Hardrada, while Belinda's Star also returned the year after her victory as a three-year-old to win again in 1976.
They are among seven who have won multiple editions and only four to win back-to-back, one of whom is Overpass, who is aiming to make it three-straight this year.
Only once in the history of Perth racing has a horse won the same elite-level race three years in a row and that was more than 140 years ago when Rocket won the Perth Cup from 1881-83.
Overpass has run to 119 on theTimeform
scale in each of his Winterbottom Stakes wins and it's easy to mount a case to say the son of Vancouver heads into this year's race in better form.He ran 112 in The Everest the start before his first win and 110 in the Champions Sprint prior to last year's win.
The seven-year-old hasn't started since this year's The Everest, in which he finished fourth, beaten 1-1/2 lengths by Ka Ying Rising, which earned him a rating of 123, a new career peak.
He has seemingly drawn better this year, coming up with gate three at Tuesday's barrier draw, but his two wins have come from gates 10 and 16 and are part of a streak that has seen the Winterbottom winner come from a double-digit barrier the past seven years.
Ortensia won the first edition at Group 1 level from gate two but in the 13 editions since no horse has won from lower than barrier seven.
Overpass's biggest danger Joker's Grin will start from barrier six, while Man Cush (seven), Rey Magnerio (eight), Benedetta (nine), Rope Them In (10) and Luana Miss (11) are those drawn the second half of the field in this year's field of 11.
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