Kingston Town Classic

The Kingston Town Classic the third and final Group 1 event of the Perth Summer Racing Carnival and is one of the west’s most recognisable races.

Named after Australian Racing Hall of Fame horse Kingston Town – who won the race in 1982 – the Kingston Town Classic is a weight-for-age conditions race for three-year-olds and older over the 1,800m distance.

The Kingston Town Classic achieved its Group 1 status back in 1972 but did not have its prize money hit seven figures until 2015.

The race concludes the trilogy of group 1 races ran on three consecutive weekends worth $1 million at Ascot – the only racetrack in the world that can boast this record.

2019 Kingston Town Classic betting odds

There are no odds available for the 2019 edition of the Kingston Town Classic.

Horse Betting will keep you updated as soon as markets open for the race.

Best Kingston Town Classic bookmakers

Given the race is the final Group 1 of the three-week Perth summer racing carnival, the preceding pair of races – the Railway Stakes and the Winterbottom Stakes – take precedence in the market.

Once the Winterbottom Stakes is run and won and bookmakers get a better idea of which horses will be taking part in the Kingston Town Classic, markets begin to emerge and punters get a chance to invest their hard earned cash on the race.

Online bookmaker BetEasy were the first bookie to put up a market on the Kingston Town Classic.

The bookies we trust the most are listed below and we recommend anyone interested in betting on the Winterbottom Stakes to visit any of these sites:

Betfair Australia

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Betting on the Kingston Town Classic

The Railway Stakes and the Kingston Town Classic have been two of the showpiece events in Western Australian racing for over 20 years, so it stands to reason that owners and trainers would put a premium on doing the double at Ascot.

However, winning two group 1 races in as many weeks is no easy feat.

Just four horses – Better Loosen Up (1989), Old Comrade (2001), Modem (2004), Sniper’s Bullet (2009) – have saluted in both races in a single year.

Winning the Kingston Town Classic on multiple occasions is no walk in the park either.

Family Of Man (1976 and 1978), Summer Beau (1996 and 1997), Old Comrade (2000 and 2001), Niconero (2006 and 2008), and Playing God (2010 and 2011) are the only horses who have saluted more than once in the race.

No horse has won the race three or more times.

2018 Kingston Town Classic result

Recent Kingston Town Classic winners

• 2018: Arcadia Queen becomes just second Kingston Town filly winner
  The writing was on the wall for a history making win for Arcadia Queen when William Pike elected to take the ride on the filly. Travelling beautifully in the run Pike unleashed the WA Guineas winner at the turn and she gapped the field, recording one of the most dominant wins in the race’s history.
• 2017: Pounamu pounces late to cause boilover
  The market didn’t give Pounamu much of a chance heading into the Kingston Town Classic but maybe it should have after the Alan Matthews-trained gelding won his second group race in three starts. Settling towards the back of the field with a sharp tempo up front, the grey balanced up beautifully heading into the straight and under a brilliant Patrick Carbery ride the $26 outsider hit the front in the shadows of the post in a strong Classic field.
• 2016: Stratum Star tips out Scales
  
  The 2016 Kingston Town Stakes came down to a two-horse battle as Scales Of Justice looked to have the race parceled by, but jockey Douglas Whyte didn’t ride his runner out fully and Stratum Star dive-bombed it late.

  The win continued to stellar run of Darren Weir who added another Group one to his tally.

• 2015: WA native delivers Perfect photo finish
  The 2015 running of the Kingston Town Classic was arguably the greatest finish in the race’s history. Home town hero Perfect Reflection and fellow Western Australian Delicacy were well back in the field at the 400m but surged to the front as the line drew close locked in a fierce battle. The pair stretched away from the field to lock horns in an epic battle that Perfect Reflection won in a photo. Truly one for the ages.
• 2014: NSW raider secures Waller's 10th G1
  Moriarty came across to Perth from Sydney carrying the weight of expectation given champion trainer Chris Waller was chasing his tenth group 1 win of the 2014/15 season. Moriatry, alongside Disposition, was the $4.50 favourite pre-race and the market looked to have the race spot on as the pair separated from the field in the latter stages of the race. Disposition looked to have the Waller runner’s measure but in the last 50m Moriatry found an additional effort to win in a photo finish.
• 2013: Ihtsahymn holds out fast finishing field
  Three-year-old Ihtsahymn came into the race as one of the top elects in the market and looked to have the race won after he sped away from dual Kingston Town Classic winner Playing God at the 300m mark. Ihtsahymn raced clear of the field and did enough to hold out a fast finishing race favourite Lucky Grey to record the solitary group 1 win of his career.

Full list of Kingston Town Classic winners