Leading Perth jockey Chris Parnham is confident Bravo Centurion has the Perth locals covered in Saturday’s Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot, the only query is will that be good enough against quality interstate opposition, headed by Overpass.
Bravo Centurion has been brilliant this campaign, reeling off six straight wins and elevating to black-type company with a feature double in the Listed Crawford Stakes (1000m) and Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m), but as encouraging as those wins were, he will still have to climb the next rung on the ladder to reach elite level.
Chris Parnham thinks he’s capable.
“It’s obviously a hot line up as you would expect in a Group 1, but I’m pretty happy with him going in and I certainly wouldn’t be swapping him for any of the locals,” Parnham said on Tabradio.
“It’s a big test for him, no doubt it’s the biggest test to date, but he has risen to the occasion each time we’ve raised the bar for him and I can’t see why he can’t do it again.
“I’m pretty confident he will run out the 1200m strongly and I expect him to run a big race.”
Jump and run has been the mantra for Bravo Centurion and he will have to use that on speed asset from barrier 15 in the Winterbottom.
Parnham admits the draw is awkward, but helping offset that is Overpass being on his outside and jumping from the widest gate in the field of 16.
Parnham says he won’t be tinkering with Bravo Centurion’s racing pattern.
“He only knows one way,” Parnham said.
“He’ll be ridden for speed.
“Obviously the barrier is not ideal, but Overpass is drawn out with me, so I’d imagine both will come out pretty positively.
“Hopefully we can get a nice run and hit the line well as he has been.”
Overpass, unbeaten in Perth after last year’s Winterbottom and two Quokka’s (1200m), is the $3.40 favourite, but hot on his heels is local hot shot Western Empire at $3.80.
Lady Laguna for the in-form Neasham-Archibald combination is a $5 chance, the mare, a Group 1 winner in Sydney in March, has gate one and the service of world class jockey James McDonald.
Maharba, the third of the interstate visitors and Bravo Centurion are $10 chances.
Parnham is looking to capture his first win in the Winterbottom Stakes after two seconds on Kissonallforcheeks and Celebrity Queen.
Before the Winterbottom, Parnham links up with The Boss Lady in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) and thinks she will prove to be very hard to beat.
Baby Paris ($3.70) and The Boss Lady ($4.40) are one-two in betting order, the same positions they filled in last fortnight’s Listed Jungle Mist Classic (1200m).