Today the Peters family claimed another milestone when their home-bred galloper Regal Power (Pierro) - a full brother in blood to star mare Arcadia Queen - blazed down the outside to claim successive wins for the Keysbrook-based breeders in the time-honoured Kirin Railway S. (1600m).
Regal Power also broke an exasperating drought for derby winners becoming the first horse since Sanatate (1983) to win the WA Derby-Railway S. double.
Peters has now bred and owned four winners of WA’s premier race.
Old Comrade (Old Spice) won the family’s first Railway in 2001. There was a good break until the ill-fated Elite Belle (Canny Lad) won in 2014. Then last year Peters outstanding mare Galaxy Star (Canny Lad) claimed the G1 and the G2 Ted Van Heemst S. in a monumental season.
Galaxy Star was crowned WA horse of the year, beating her stable-mate (and Regal Power's close relation) Arcadia Queen (Pierro), who won the G3 WA Champion Fillies S, G2 WA Guineas and G1 Kingston Town C. for the title.
Star Exhibit won his second Perth Cup for Peters when he beat stable-mate Action, giving the family their eighth Perth Cup win, drawing a win clear of owner Paddy Connolly’s seven Cups.
Since the Railway S. was first run 1887 only one jockey has ridden four winners and that was Frank Treen on Beau Temps (1951), Maniana (1954), Tudor Mak (1966), Kilrickle (1970).
There are no records for owners and breeders, but nobody has come close to Peters’ achievement of breeding and owning four Railway S. in the modern era.
Peters took into account the slow pace set in the WA Guineas (1600m) in the previous race, when giving his instructions to stable jockey William Pike, who also claimed consecutive wins in the Railway.
“I said to William before he went out; “That it was a good thing that we drew wide (13)”,” Peters said.
“I watched the Guineas and they went so slow that a lot of the horses on the inside got tangled up. So I thought it would be good that he was out there.
“Though I wasn’t so keen when he was so deep on the corner.
Regal Power's swamping performance cost Godolphin the prize of claiming its first G1 on WA soil, tearing past Best Of Days (Azamour {IRE}) inside the last 100m to run home a comfortable ½ l winner.
Platoon (Playing God) flashed into third place a long-neck behind the runner-up. Peters other two runners Star Exhibit and Perfect Jewel ran 8th and 12th respectively.
Sandra and Bob Peters with jockey William Pike
“Everybody dropped off this horse, but we were always happy with him,” Peters said. I thought he was our best chance in the race. "
“You only had to look at his sectional times when he won the WA Derby.
“I thought about sending him over to race in the East this spring, but decided to leave him home for these races. I sent Celebrity Dream over there, instead, and she did not perform.”
Regal Power will now lead Peters’ charge into the G1 $1 m Kingston Town C. (1800m) in a fortnight.
“I haven’t planned too far ahead, but I am looking forward to his next two starts in the Kingston Town and Ted Van Heemst,” Peters said.
Pierro, sire of Regal Power
Positive report for Best Of Days
James Cummings was humble in defeat.
He said the 24-hour delay (from Tuesday to Wednesday) in the flight across from Melbourne had no impact on Best Of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}).
“He is already a G1 winner at a mile and he carried himself well in the mile handicap today,” Cummings said.
“The run has him well for the weight-for-age start (Kingston Town C.) next time. The winner wasn’t going to be held out today and full credit to them.
“Best of Days is moving into the best form of his preparation now and he is going to be really suited at WFA next time.
“Look the plane didn’t have much petrol that night, but Best of Days had plenty of petrol here today.”
Big win for the Williamses
Regal Power was prepared by trainer Grant Williams in partnership with his wife Alana.
The couple also prepared Galaxy Star and Arcadia Queen last season. Grant trained Elite Belle to her Railway win.
Grant Williams said his decision to switch from winkers to blinkers was a strategy he had used in the past in big races.
He said it was important to him that Regal Power broke the mold of past WA Derby winners for the stable, who had not returned to top form the following year.
Regal Power and an elated William Pike
“Derby winners like Delicacy weren’t coming back and it was important to us that we got this bloke back at the top of his game,” Williams said.
“Regal Power’s Derby win was a special win and today his win is very special to us. We always had winkers on him, but we just like to do a little twist before a grand final. Every G1 race is a grand final to us and we thought we could just get that bit extra out of him by putting the blinkers on.”
Williams heads into the Kingston Town C. with a strong line up of Peters runners including Mississippi Delta, Tuscan Queen and possibly Superstorm.
Regal Power’s dam Broadway Belle (Redoute’s Choice-Antique) is a sister to Arcadia, the dam of Arcadia Queen, Arcadia Dream, Arcadia Prince and Arcadia Rose.
He is the full brother 2018 WA Derby winner and Perth Cup runner-up Action and closely related to Antique Belle and Antique Dream.
