Bob Peters can never be denied on the big stage and his Big Brown mare Neverland responded with more black-type on Super Saturday at Ascot.
Peters and his wife Sandra have a top-class team in work and Neverland’s victory in the LR WA Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) means the Perth couple will have as many as five starters in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) on December 5.
“She raced on the pace and finished off with that speedy turn of foot,” Peters said. “She’s a sound mare and will now go to the Kingston Town.”
It was Neverland’s second black-type victory following the LR Challenge Stakes in February. She’s unbeaten this season and the Carbine Club was the third win in a row over 1400m at Ascot.
Her dam Midnight Special has been a regular at Vinery Stud since Peters retired the Zabeel mare to stud in 2010. Following Neverland, she foaled a Myboycharlie filly, an All Too Hard colt and another Big Brown filly on November 1.
Peters dominates TAB pre-post betting for the Kingston Town with Delicacy ($4.50), Real Love ($5), Perfect Reflection ($6.50), Neverland ($13) and Arcadia Dream ($13). He has won Perth’s premier weight-for-age event with Old Nick (1998) and Old Comrade (2000 & 2001).
In the USA, Big Brown star Dortmund was due to run in the G1 Clark Hcp (1800m) at Churchill Downs this Friday, however, a quarter crack has put those plans on hold. He had won the G1 Santa Anita Derby earlier this year and sat out summer after finishing third in the G1 Kentucky Derby and fourth in the G1 Preakness Stakes.
Dortmund resumed racing with a Listed victory in the Big Bear Stakes (1600m) at Santa Anita last month. “He worked really well last Friday but came back with a little quarter crack on the side of his foot,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “It wasn’t quite ready to patch so I didn’t ship him to Kentucky.”
Baffert will keep the 17 hands colt on the west coast for an intended start in the G3 Native Diver Stakes (1800m) at Del Mar this Sunday.
