Railway Stakes mount for in-form Tash Faithfull & Rope Them In changes tact to head to Winterbottom Stakes

Albany’s representation in the Group 1 Railway Stakes at Ascot looks a little different to what was expected. Jockey Tash Faithfull will fly the Albany flag in Saturday’s $1.5m Swan Draught Railway Stakes (1600m), picking up a ride on long shot Let’s Galahvant. However, most expected Albany galloper Rope Them In to be among the starters for the feature race with the Steve Wolfe-trained star well in the betting market for the Railway. But Wolfe and connections chose to bypass the Railway and instead target the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes on Saturday week. Rope Them In was a brilliant winner of the listed Crawford Stakes (1200m) first-up in October and then finished second to Watch Me Rock in the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) on November 1. The path seemed likely to have Wolfe’s stable star competing in the 1600m Railway Stakes but the five-year-old gelding did not accept for the Railway. Wolfe has chosen the Winterbottom as the preferred option for Rope Them In, setting up a tantalising stoush with Eastern States raider Overpass and WA star Jokers Grin. Rope Them In had a hit-out on the main grass in Albany this week, with stable rider Shaun McGruddy making the trip in preparation for the $1.5m sprint feature on November 29. Faithfull is riding in red-hot form, booting home four winners in Albany on Saturday and then backing it up with a double in Geraldton on Sunday. That Geraldton success included the $125,000 Batavia Sprint aboard Supersession for Adam Durrant. Faithfull will partner the Daniel and Ben Pearce-trained Let’s Galahvant in the Railway, with their hopes dealt a blow at Tuesday’s barrier draw. Let’s Galahvant drew gate 16, with Faithfull to carry the minimum 54kg. Watch Me Rock is the $3.60 favourite with TABtouch while Faithfull’s runner was listed as an $81 chance on Wednesday. Let’s Galahvant will be running second-up in the Railway, having finished 10th for Faithfull behind Super Smink in the Group 2 Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) on November 8. Faithfull won aboard Let’s Galahvant in the 2022 Hannans Handicap and finished second in the same race in 2023 and last year the gelding ran fifth in the Railway with McGruddy onboard. Wolfe’s Currimundi will tackle the listed A.J. Scahill Cup (2100m) at Ascot on Saturday. Albany trainer Roy Rogers will also be in action at Ascot, with Luz Del Sol to start in the Crystal Slipper Stakes (1100m).