Regal reclaims throne as Empire falters
History for Peters’ and Williams’ in Kingston Town Classic despite shock result
Leviathan Western Australian owners Bob and Sandra Peters and training partners Grant and Alana Williams lived up to expectations by creating a slice of history at Ascot yesterday – only it came in the most unexpected of circumstances as Regal Power (Pierro) defied his more fancied stablemate Western Empire (Iffraaj) to take out the Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m).
With the win of Regal Power, the Peters’ and Williams’ became the first owners and trainers to complete a clean sweep of the three races that form Perth’s TABTouch Masters – the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), the Winterbottom Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the Kingston Town Classic.
However, it was expected to be Western Empire (Iffraaj) completing the Railway-Kingston Town double, in addition to the heroics of Graceful Girl (Nicconi) in the Winterbottom last weekend, that would act as a long-overdue coronation for the successful owner-trainer combination, whose cerise and white colours are synonymous with Perth racing.
Sent out as the shortest-priced favourite in the race’s 45-year history at $1.22 – although only the second shortest elect in a Group 1 this year behind Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) at $1.18 in the Underwood Stakes (Gr 1, 1800m) – Western Empire was attempting to join the great horse himself, Kingston Town (Bletchingly), and Queensland wonder horse Vo Rogue (Ivor Prince) as the only odds-on favourites to take out the former Western Mail Classic.
Instead, it was another less illustrious two-horse club that expanded to three – those who started in the red and were beaten, with Western Empire joining 2000 runner-up Umrum (Umatilla) and 2002 fifth Hardrada (Marooned) as hotpots who were defeated.
To add insult to ignominy, it was more than 35 minutes after the race before the result was confirmed as Western Empire and rider William Pike had to withstand an objection lodged by Chris Parnham, rider of third-placed Kissonallforcheeks (Written Tycoon). Parnham protested claiming interference from the 1700 metres to the 1100 metres, alleging that Pike rode in on his horse throughout that period, while he also claimed that he was hindered in the concluding stages as well.
While the protest was eventually dismissed, Pike was hit with a 17-day suspension for careless riding, which will see him return to the saddle the Wednesday before Christmas.
It marked the culmination of a messy race that was run at a dawdle from the get-go, with Western Empire parked three-deep after Pike failed to emerge from that scrimmage with Kissonallforcheeks with a one-off position. Most were overracing behind the slow tempo set by Too Close The Sun (Carlton House), but all riders seemed hesitant to take the race by the horns, instead biding their time patiently as the contest turned into a 400-metre dash.
Regal Power, though, came primed for a fight and sprinted up sharply to his rivals, looking far more like the billed $1.22 favourite as he scored by a half-length. Kissonallforcheeks was a further long neck away in third, with Too Close The Sun fourth for the second consecutive year.
All of the drama surrounding Western Empire almost made the winner, and the historic feat of his owners and trainers, a secondary storyline for the final Group 1 of the Australian racing year.
Regal Power issued a stern warning to his younger barnmate that it was not his empire, not yet; he would have to wait his turn to claim the mantle of Western Australia’s leading racehorse, a title fitting for the winner as he added the Kingston Town Classic to victories in the 2019 Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and 2020 All-Star Mile (1600m).
While Bob Peters could have been forgiven for being disappointed to not have won with Western Empire, the shrewd observer did note after his Railway Stakes romp that it would be another task altogether for the four-year-old to step up to weight-for-age.
Regal Power, though, had proven himself against all-comers in the All-Star Mile with runner-up and former stablemate Superstorm (Sebring) taking the Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) during the Melbourne Cup Carnival this year, third-placed Melody Belle (Commands) the most decorated New Zealand Group 1 winner ever and fourth Fierce Impact (Deep Impact) successful three times at the highest level. He was also runner-up in the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), indicating that weight-for-age was no concern.
Peters made a concerted decision to skip the Railway Stakes with Regal Power, instead focusing on adding a new race to his resume rather than attempting to land the same race twice. The decision paid off in spades as Regal Power took his record to eight wins from 26 starts with earnings of $4,473,385.
“I’ve always said this is the best race in Western Australia,” he said. “I thought the Railway Stakes was the hardest race to win, but this race – at weight-for-age – is the best race. Logic says the best horse wins.
“I’m very happy, I’ve told anyone that would listen that this horse was going well. I aimed him at this race and purposefully missed the Railway Stakes. His two runs in have been very good, he’s a proven weight-for-age winner, he likes the distance and everything was in his favour.”
While Peters was satisfied with how Regal Power was going following two fourths to begin his campaign, in the Northerly Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and the Lee Steere Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), he acknowledged that it had been a rough road to get the six-year-old back to his best following an aborted autumn campaign in Melbourne earlier this year.
“He went to Melbourne twice and came home sick,” he said. “It took a lot of work from a lot of people to get him back this time. I think I’ve said many times this time in that the horse is a fit and healthy horse and he proved that today.”
A typically emotional Grant Williams, accompanied by his stoic wife and training partner Alana, was left in awe as his old warhorse returned to prevail in battle once more.
“He’s taken us to some pretty good places, this horse, and he’s just won another Group 1,” the former said, before his wife added: “It’s been a big week and we never underestimated this horse. We were thinking he was back to somewhere near his old self.
“It’s great to see them grow from young horses to see what they do today. And you just hope that they reach those heights, but these two are pretty special.”
While the Kingston Town Classic will not be one that Perth’s leading rider Pike will want to relive any time soon, it was a different story for veteran Patrick Carbery. The 46-year-old landed his second Kingston Town Classic with Regal Power, having partnered Pounamu (Authorized) to win in 2017, while it was his fourth Group 1 victory to go along with wins in the Railway Stakes on Gilded Venom (Golden Snake) and Machine Gun Tom (Corporate Raider).
“I’m just really thankful for the ride,” Carbery said. “Commiserations to Willie, but he’s always been forthright in talking about the horse. We talked about the race together, what did I think, what did he think, and obviously he was going to do his thing and I was going to do my thing. And it was probably good to be on the underdog out of the two.
“The pace was really, really slow and he settled really well. He’s got a bit of a history of not settling well, but he settled better than most of them in the race.
“With the way the race was run, I had to chase a little bit further out than what I would have liked. I’d only ridden him once before, but doing his form and the feel he gave me when I rode him first up, he’s got an enormous motor, great stamina and I knew that he’d be strong at the end. He felt the pinch a bit, but his sectional would have been really good.
“I’m super proud of the horse. Grant and Alana, they’ve got a super team at home and they get these horses perfect. I’m super rapt to be getting the opportunity from Mr Peters at this time of the year and it’s great to be able to win a race like this and repay their faith in me.”
Regal Power (6 g ex Broadway Belle by Redoute’s Choice) hails from one of Peters’ most illustrious projects, the Antique (Metal Storm) family. A $130,000 purchase by Peters from the 2001 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, Antique was successful on both sides of the country with her crowning achievement on the track a third to Bulla Borghese (Belong To Me) in the 2002 VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m).
However, it has been off the track that she has made her greatest impact, producing Listed-winning fillies Broadway Belle and Antique Belle – both by Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) – as well as their stakes-performed sister Arcadia.
Arcadia herself has produced four stakes winners, most notably three-time Group 1 winner and 2018 Kingston Town Classic heroine Arcadia Queen (Pierro), while Broadway Belle has produced Western Australian Derby (Gr 2, 2400m) victor Action (Pierro) in addition to Regal Power.
Unsurprisingly, Coolmore Stud’s Pierro (Lonhro) has been Broadway Belle’s partner of choice in recent years, with the pair producing a two-year-old filly named Regal Order and a yearling colt named Regal Service.
Broadway Belle missed in 2020, but she was served by Pierro once more in October in the hope that the next Regal Power may be around the corner.