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Peters, Pike and Grant & Alana Williams set up historic treble attempt after Graceful Girl storms home in Winterbottom Stakes

The combination of Bob Peters, William Pike and Grant and Alana Williams have continued to sweep all before them this Perth carnival, and have now given themselves a chance to make history as Graceful Girl landed the Winterbottom Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ascot yesterday, the second leg of the ‘big three’ $1 million Group 1s. 

After Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) success last weekend when Western Empire (Iffraaj) cruised to success, the trio now only have the Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m) as the final hurdle in what would be a remarkable treble, with Western Empire a $1.50 favourite to back up in the feature next weekend. 

A poor draw in barrier 16 saw the daughter of Nicconi (Bianconi) go off a lengthy $9 chance for the Group 1 contest, after finishing a close second to yesterday’s $2.60 favourite Elite Street (Street Boss) on her last start in the Colonel Reeves Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) a fortnight ago.

Settled in last place throughout the early stages, Pike angled the four-year-old mare out wide rounding the bend and needed only to urge her into the lead as she bounded effortlessly clear in the final 100 metres to win by a dominant two and three-quarter lengths.

Stageman (Written Tycoon) stayed on well down the outside to make it a quinella for Peters but could simply not go with the Grant and Alana Williams-trained mare.

Last year’s victor Elite Street (Street Boss) was a short-head back in third after briefly threatening the winner 150 metres from home.

“We won it years ago when it was a Group 2, so it’s nice to win it as a Group 1,” Peters said after the race.

“I kept away (from the barrier draw) as I’m not very lucky and I thought if someone else went I’d get lucky but it didn’t seem to work out. But obviously it’s worked out for horses coming from the back, which we thought might happen.

“We got home a few years ago with Enticing Star but could only get second and then it was Celebrity Queen and she could only get second. Now, today, we got second but we also got the winner!

“We knew she’d be ridden and had to be ridden the way she likes to race. She likes to get out the back, very much like Celebrity Queen, and it suited her well today.”

The win marked the second stakes success for Graceful Girl, after her win in the Raconteur Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in June, while she became the second elite-level winner for her Widden Victoria stallion Nicconi, with his other Group 1 winner being world class sprinter and Everest (1200m) winner Nature Strip. 

The all-conquering trio of Peters, Pike and trainers Grant & Alana Williams will bid to be the first to secure a clean sweep of the TABtouch Masters races when Western Empire goes in the Kingston Town Classic next weekend.

“We’ve had people win two and win two again. It’s never been done before and I think that would be a pretty hard task,” Peters said, when asked about the record-setting opportunity.

Peters and Pike came closest to achieving the sought after trifecta of Western Australian Group 1 wins in 2018, when the pair won the Railway Stakes on Galaxy Star (Redoute’s Choice) and the Kingston Town on Arcadia Queen (Pierro) but was denied in the Winterbottom as Enticing Star (Testa Rossa) could only run three-quarters of a length second to Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible). 

The jockey spoke of his enjoyment of the race, while also admitting that this represents the best chance he will ever get at writing his name into the Perth racing history books.

“If you’d have said I could circle the field and win in a canter before the race I would never have believed it. She’s just got all heart, this horse. She’s so good,” he said.

“I suppose with the barrier, expectations sort of come off a little bit so you can go and enjoy it a little bit more when you aren’t such a red-hot favourite. 

“In hindsight, the barrier has worked in our favour. 

“I’ve tried to do the treble before and gone close, so it looks like being my best year to try and achieve it, so fingers crossed. I know the horse (Western Empire) is good enough.”

In winning the Winterbottom Stakes Graceful Girl (4 m Nicconi – Avenida Madero by Metal Storm) has eclipsed the feats of her dam, Metal Storm (Kenmare) mare Avenida Madero, who ran second in the race in 2005 behind superstar galloper Miss Andretti (Ihtiram), before then gaining her biggest success in the Lee Steere (Gr 2, 1400m) on her next start.

Graceful Girl is the tenth and penultimate foal from Avenida Madero, who was retired from broodmare duties last year, making her a sister to Group 3 winner State Solicitor as well as a half-sister to Western Australian Derby (Gr 2, 2400m) winner Respondent (Haradasun) and the Group 3-placed Long Beach (I Am Invincible). 

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