Perth Cup Preview

The Perth Cup is a Group 2 open handicap race traditionally held each year on New Year's Day at Ascot racecourse in Perth, Western Australia during the Perth summer racing carnival. The race is run over a distance of 2400 metres and worth $400,000 in prizemoney. The 2011 Perth Cup was won by Western Jewel from God Has Spoken with Senhor Da Gama third.

The race was formerly run over 3200 metres (2 miles) but in 2009 the race distance was taken back to 2400 metres in an effort to attract a higher quality field. In a change of programming for the 2011/2012 racing season the 2011 Perth Cup was effectively held twice, once on New Year's Day and once on New Year's Eve.

The Perth Cup is the highlight of the Summer Racing Carnival in Perth and attracts a huge crowd of around 35,000+ people who get together to celebrate a quality day of racing, fashion and entertainment. First run in 1887, the Perth Cup has a long and proud history and is the first major social event of the new year in Western Australia.

Perth Cup info
Date:	Tuesday 1st January 2013
Track:	Ascot racecourse, Perth
Distance:	2400 metres
Race Type:	Open Handicap
Status:	Group 2
Prizemoney:	$400,000
2011 Winner:	Western Jewel

The Perth Cup is the premier distance race of the Perth summer racing carnival and being held at Ascot, with its uphill run home from the 400m to the winning post, makes it a true test for stayers over the 2400m distance of the race. The field generally assembles mostly local stayers with the odd visitor from the eastern states sometimes making the trek to Perth for the spoils on offer.

The Gr2 CB Cox Stakes run over 2100m a couple of weeks earlier at the same track has been the best guide to winners and placegetters of this race in recent times and it pays to keep a keep a keen eye on the CB Cox Stakes as a future Perth Cup winner or placegetter could very well be running around.

Lords Ransom (2010), Cats Fun (2008), Palatious (1994), Mirror Magic (1992) and Saratov (1989) all won the CB Cox Stakes before winning this race, while Early Express (3rd in 2006) and Free At Last (2nd in 2005) both won the CB Cox Stakes before running placings in the Perth Cup.

A high number of horses have either won or placed in both races over the years and more recently Lords Ransom (2010) scored the Cox Stakes & Perth Cup double and those horses that ran well in the Cox Stakes are ones to watch when assessing the form for this race.

Western Jewel (2011 Dec) won a 2200m event at Ascot prior to winning this race and recent Perth Cup winners include Guest Wing (2011 Jan) Lords Ransom (2010).

2011 Perth Cup result
1. $7.00 Western Jewel 52.0 Ms Kyra Yuill (a)
2. $10.00 God Has Spoken 57.0 Steven Parnham
3. $9.00 Senhor Da Gama 52.0 Patrick Carbery

then followed
4. $8.50 Tranquility 52.5 William Pike
5. $17.00 Veracious 52.5 Shaun O’Donnell
6. $12.00 Saint Encosta 52.0 Jason Brown
7. $18.00 Moonlight Bay 52.0 Marco Chui
8. $19.00 Battle Emblem 56.0 Paul Harvey
9. $61.00 Big Ted 52.0 Danny Miller
10. $19.00 Miss Tipsy Topsy 52.0 Jason Whiting
11. $31.00 Manila I Scream 53.0 Daniel Staeck
12. $4.20 Kincaple 56.0 Dwayne Dunn
13. $26.00 Ringmeister 52.0 Troy Turner
14. $31.00 Double Barrel 52.0 Shaun Mc Gruddy
15. $21.00 Lopov 52.0 Peter Knuckey
16. $18.00 New Spice 53.5 Ryan Hill

Margins: 2 len, 1/2 len
Time: 2:28.24

Perth Cup recent winners & placegetters
Year	Winner	2nd	3rd	Time
2011	Western Jewel	God Has Spoken	Senhor Da Gama	2:28.2
2011	Guest Wing	Guyno	Simply Adorable	2:27.5
2010	Lords Ransom	Ma Chienne	Largo Lad	2:30.6
2009	Guyno	The Fuzz	Ballack	2:25.9
2008	Cats Fun	Exhilerating	Westerly Breeze	3:21.6
2007	Respect	Bay Story	Rossam	3:21.0
2006	Black Tom	Master Minx	Early Express	3:18.8
2005	Crown Prosecutor	Free At Last	Black Tom	3:21.4
2004	King Canute	Indigo King	Higgins Gold	3:23.7
2003	Tumeric	So Canny	Bold Mirage	3:23.0
2002	Cardinal Colours	Give Me A Chance	Shoeless	3:25.9
2001	Lottila Bay	Moonrise	King Brian	3:25.6
2000	Lunar Tudor	Victory Morn	Matriculate	3:21.0
1999	King Of Saxony	Rogan Josh	Victory Morn	3:23.7
1998	Heed The Toll	Old Cobber	In Name Only	3:25.5
1997	Time Frame	Regimental Tattoo	Beau Heed	3:22.8
1996	Crying Game	Ernesto	Bullwinkle	3:23.9
1995	Ros Reef	Fine Whiskey	Sweet Glory	3:26.4
1994	Palatious	Diamond Heist	Kathros	3:22.0
1993	Field Officer	Red Javelin	Kawtuban	3:22.1
1992	Mirror Magic	Red Javelin	Vite Filou	3:21.7
1991	Zamlight	Word Of Honour	Ideal Centreman	3:20.8
1990	Word Of Honour	Our King Crimson	Green Range Boy	3:20.5
1989	Saratov	Rising Fear	Muromoon	3:16.8
1988	Linc The Leopard	Buckshot Bandit	Arcolad	3:24.3

*The 2011 Perth Cup was held on January 1st 2011 for the 2010/2011 racing season and December 31st 2011 for the 2011/2012 racing season, which meant the race was held twice in 2011.