The cream rises to the top, so the saying goes - That was never more true than at Ascot yesterday, when WA’s leading jockey, stable and owner all made their presence felt in no uncertain terms - and there was a nice little twist in the tale!
A massive crowd turned out to celebrate the first G1 day of Perth's summer carnival, headlined by its historic mile feature, the $1.5 million WATC Railway Stakes.
WA's leading trainers Grant and Alana Williams saddled up three runners, including hot favourite Watch Me Rock (Awesome Rock) and second favourite Western Empire (Iffraaj) as well as quality mare Storyville (Overshare).
It was probably the most pressure the dynamic duo had experienced since their split with leviathan owner/breeder Bob Peters back in 2022.
While training privately for Peters, team Williams notched up four consecutive Railway wins from 2018 -21 with Galaxy Star (Redoute’s Choice), Regal Power (Pierro), Inspirational Girl (Reliable Man) and Western Empire (Iffraaj).
A rejuvenated Western Empire carried topweight of 58kg in the Railway this year, having been purchased online and brought home to the stables of his former trainers after a long and unsuccessful sojourn in the eastern states.
Grant was training solo when he won the Railway for Peters in 2014 with the fine mare Elite Belle (Canny Lad).
Despite consistent success week in week out, Grant and Alana had yet to produce their first G1 winner as public trainers - so the stakes could not have been higher for the husband and wife team!
Likewise, champion WA jockey William Pike was seeking his first local G1 success since the 2021 Winterbottom Stakes.
“That winning feeling” is something Pike experiences far more often than most jockeys, but a G1 win is different gravy.
If Pike could get Watch Me Rock home it would bring up his sixth Railway as well - all achieved with Team Williams.
Watch Me Rock had his own point to prove. The highly progressive and genuine five year old had recorded his first Group win just a fortnight earlier in the G3 Asian Beau Stakes.
It was a big step up to G1 level, but as a winner of 10 of his 18 starts (including the Listed Old Comrade Stakes over the Railway course in April) the good looking son of Awesome Rock was clearly born knowing exactly where the post is!
Punters were feeling pretty confident that the locals had the Railway in the bag this year, particularly after eastern states raiders Osipenko (Pierro), Depth Of Character (Deep Field) and Iowna Merc (Winning Rupert) received no favours at the barrier draw - nevertheless the first two had some market support at their odds of 10/1.
The leading locals were in top form!
Pike had produced a gem of a ride half an hour earlier to take the G2 WA Guineas on the unbeaten star King Of Light, and Grant and Alana had snagged the trifecta in the Listed AJ Scahill Stakes.
Peters Investments and Michael Grantham were having a good afternoon too, having racked up three consecutive winners on the card including the runaway Listed Carbine Club victor - the former favourite in early Railway betting - Cosmic Crusader (Maurice), read about him here.
That was some consolation for Cosmic at least, and the team had a real live hope in the big one with Diamond Scene (So You Think)
The big strong gelding had plenty of fans, and was third favourite at 6/1.
However Watch Me Rock under Pike was the punters firm elect, and they sent him to the barriers as 9/4 favourite, from Western Empire at 9/2 with Billy Egan in the saddle.
Super Smink (Super One) and In Good Order (American Pharoah) were the other two locals with some steady market support as the clock ticked down to start time!
When the barriers crashed open the crowd raised a resounding cheer as Holly Watson and Comfort Me (Playing God) cruised to their customary pacemaking role. The nine year old, having his fifth and surely his final Railway start, bowled along happily with ears pricked as Holly took care to keep the tempo nice and steady.
Prior to the race there had been speculation about the possibility of Watch Me Rock and Western Empire striking traffic in the big field from their inside barriers, but those concerns never materialised.
Pike had the favourite forward and beautifully positioned in behind the speed throughout, and likewise Western Empire with his big weight was given a gun run by Egan and had plenty to offer at the business end of the race!
The mares Super Smink and Storyville were always well back and a long way off the speed - they simply never got into the picture.
Osipenko and Depth Of Character covered plenty of ground in the run, while Diamond Scene and In Good Order settled midfield within striking distance.
Comfort Me led them for home and gave his customary gallant kick, but Watch Me Rock had travelled so sweetly in the run it made your teeth hurt just looking at him.
He always had the leader covered and now swept up easily on his outside to surge to the front, with Western Empire in the favourite's slipstream.
It was a painless watch for those on Watch Me Rock as he went strongly to the post still full of running!
Western Empire gave his all and was less than a length away as they crossed the line, a huge run from the eight year old warrior to give team Williams a G1 quinella!
Another eight year old, despised roughie Sentimental Hero (Al Maher) produced an epic performance to run third - the last start Kalgoorlie Cup winner is in a golden vein of form.
His Railway Stakes triumph advances Watch Me Rock's record to 11 wins and 6 placings from just 19 lifetime starts and he has now earned $1,580,945 in prize money - with plenty more to come!
It was an obviously relieved Grant Williams who spoke with the media after the breakthrough result for the stable
“We've probably put too much pressure on ourselves - we wanted to win that Group One” said the trainer.
“We won the Gold Rush, we've won Perth Cups, but we hadn't won a Group One…. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it is my best one.
"We're public trainers now, we've had so much support over the last three years to get back to where we were. A lot of people thought, without Peters you're nobody. But we aren't - we go good!”
Pike was also feeling relief mixed in with the excitement of the win.
“I landed in a prime position, I didn't expect to be that close and I didn't expect to hit the front that soon!” said the champion jockey.
“At this stage of my career I judge myself on how I perform in the big races. It's been a few years since I won a Group One. I find it hard to say you're the best if you're not winning Group Ones.”
Having made the right call to ride Watch Me Rock over his stablemate, Pike now has to decide whether to stick with his Railway winner or ride the undefeated WA Guineas hero King Of Light in the upcoming G1 Northerly Stakes in two weeks time.
Watch Me Rock is the first G1 winner for his sire Awesome Rock, and this landmark achievement is overdue for Gold Front's magnificent son of Fastnet Rock.
Bred by Ridgeport Holdings, Watch Me Rock was passed in at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions Yearling sale when bidding fell just short of his $40,000 reserve.
He was subsequently retained by his breeder to be placed in the expert hands of team Williams, and the horse did not race at two years.
Thanks to Watch Me Rock, G1 winner Awesome Rock now has the coveted title of G1 sire as well.
Watch Me Rock is one of six stakes winners overall by the stallion, who has served small books since he commenced stud duties at Gold Front in 2017 - but has had a decided impact on the WA breeding scene.
A superb physical specimen, Awesome Rock is one of the best credentialled horses to ever stand at stud in Western Australia.
The G1 WFA Mackinnon Stakes winning son of the incomparable Fastnet Rock has proved to be a particularly effective sire of Classic performers, but his progeny also have plenty of speed, and they inherit his will to win.
Now we know he can get a great miler!
Watch Me Rock's dam What Choux Want was a fast, G2 placed daughter of Thorn Park's champion son Jimmy Choux.
Imported into Australia in her three year old year, she continued her racing career in Melbourne and then in Western Australia, but failed to reproduce that earlier form.
A precocious winning juvenile who matured into a NZ Derby winner and Cox Plate runner up, cult hero “Jimmy” never reproduced his own greatness but was a good sire in NZ before - like his daughter What Choux Want - he eventually found his way to WA to take up stud duties at Rosalee Park Stud in Serpentine, where he sadly passed away last year.
In the early days of an extremely promising breeding career, What Choux Want's only other named foal to date is the Rommel filly Wotugot, runner up in the 2024 WATC Magic Millions 2YO Plate.
She has a 2023 filly by the same sire, a 2024 colt by the Fastnet Rock son Long Leaf and this year foaled a filly to Maschino.
Watch Me Rock’s second dam Bankside Belle (Volksraad) was another precocious juvenile and stakes-placed winner of 8 races in NZ.
At stud she has produced the top class G2 winning, G1 placed filly Belle Du Nord (Reliable Man).
Bankside Belle is a half sister to stakes placed staying filly Carlotta (Ekraar) and a full sister to tough galloper My Choice, a blacktype winning sprinter in Hong Kong.
Showing their faith in this family, Ridgeport Holdings paid $120k to secure Bankside Belle's 2023 colt by Hello Youmzain out of Karaka’s Book One 2025 and he will race as Youmzain Bolt in Singapore.
Watch Me Rock is bred
Danzig 4m x 5m
Nureyev 5m x 5m
His damline goes back to Scotswood (IRE) imported into NZ in 1944 from the family of taproot mare Venus (15 a)
Scotswood founded a successful family and Watch Me Rock is a descendant of her daughter All Serene, by the great Foxbridge.
All Serene was also the ancestress of a great G1 performer Happy Clapper, who won both the big G1 Randwick miles, the Doncaster and the Epsom handicaps amongst his many stakes wins from 1400 - 2000m.
Watch Me Rock is even more closely related to the stallion Linacre who sired Long Row, the second damsire of the great So You Think.
Watch Me Rock - watch this space!
Awesome Rock offers breeders great value and stands at Gold Front Thoroughbreds on a fee of $7,975.
