Regal Power Upsets Stablemate in Kingston Town Classic

Leviathan Western Australian owners Bob and Sandra Peters and training partners Grant and Alana Williams lived up to expectations by creating a slice of history at Ascot Racecourse Dec. 4—only it came in the most unexpected of circumstances as Regal Power defied his more fancied stablemate Western Empire to take out the Drummond Golf-Kingston Town Classic (G1) at Ascot Racecourse.

With the win of Regal Power, the Peters' and Williams' became the first owners and trainers to complete a clean sweep of the three races that form Perth's TABTouch Masters — the Railway Stakes (G1), the Winterbottom Stakes (G1), and the Kingston Town Classic.

Perth Group 1 clean sweep in 2021 for Bob Peters – including a quinella – in the @drummondgolf Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. The 2nd G1 victory for the Peters home-bred 6YO by @CoolmoreAus Pierro, Regal Power is a full brother to G2 WA Derby wnr Action & takes earnings to $4.5m pic.twitter.com/F6z4AfOWqU

— Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) December 4, 2021

However, it was expected to be Western Empire completing the Railway-Kingston Town double. Sent out as the shortest-priced favorite in the race's 45-year history, Western Empire was attempting to join the great horse himself, Kingston Town, and Queensland wonder horse Vo Rogue as the only odds-on favorites to take out the former Western Mail Classic.

Instead, it was another less illustrious two-horse club that expanded to three—those who started in the red and were beaten, with Western Empire joining 2000 runner-up Umrum and 2002 fifth Hardrada as hotpots who were defeated.

To add insult to ignominy, it was more than 35 minutes after the race before the result was confirmed as Western Empire and rider William Pike had to withstand an objection lodged by Chris Parnham, rider of third-placed Kissonallforcheeks. Parnham protested claiming interference from the 1700 meters to the 1100 meters, alleging that Pike rode in on his horse throughout that period, while he also claimed that he was hindered in the concluding stages as well.

While the protest was eventually dismissed, Pike was hit with a 17-day suspension for careless riding, which will see him return to the saddle the Wednesday before Christmas.

It marked the culmination of a messy race that was run at a dawdle from the get-go, with Western Empire parked three-deep after Pike failed to emerge from that scrimmage with Kissonallforcheeks with a one-off position. Most were overracing behind the slow tempo set by Too Close The Sun, but all riders seemed hesitant to take the race by the horns, instead biding their time patiently as the contest turned into a 400-meter dash.

Regal Power, though, came primed for a fight and sprinted up sharply to his rivals, looking far more like the billed favorite as he scored by a half-length. Kissonallforcheeks was a further long neck away in third, with Too Close The Sun fourth for the second consecutive year.

All of the drama surrounding Western Empire almost made the winner, and the historic feat of his owners and trainers, a secondary storyline for the final group 1 of the Australian racing year.

Regal Power issued a stern warning to his younger barnmate that he would have to wait his turn to claim the mantle of Western Australia's leading racehorse, adding the Kingston Town Classic to victories in the 2019 Kirin Railway Stakes (G1) and 2020 All-Star Mile.

Owner Bob Peters made a concerted decision to skip the Railway Stakes with Regal Power, instead focusing on adding a new race to his resume rather than attempting to land the same race twice. The decision paid off in spades as Regal Power took his record to eight wins from 26 starts with earnings of AUS$4,473,385.

"I've always said this is the best race in Western Australia," he said. "I thought the Railway Stakes was the hardest race to win, but this race —at weight-for-age—is the best race. Logic says the best horse wins.

While Peters was satisfied with how Regal Power was going following two fourths to begin his campaign, in the Crown Perth Northerly Stakes (G3) and the Waroa-Lee Steere Stakes (G2), he acknowledged that it had been a rough road to get the 6-year-old back to his best following an aborted autumn campaign in Melbourne earlier this year.

"He went to Melbourne twice and came home sick," he said. "It took a lot of work from a lot of people to get him back this time. I think I've said many times this time in that the horse is a fit and healthy horse and he proved that today."

A typically emotional Grant Williams, accompanied by his stoic wife and training partner Alana, was left in awe as his old warhorse returned to prevail in battle once more.

"He's taken us to some pretty good places, this horse, and he's just won another group 1," the former said, before his wife added: "It's been a big week and we never underestimated this horse. We were thinking he was back to somewhere near his old self.

"It's great to see them grow from young horses to see what they do today. And you just hope that they reach those heights, but these two are pretty special."

While the Kingston Town Classic will not be one that Perth's leading rider Pike will want to relive any time soon, it was a different story for veteran Patrick Carbery. The 46-year-old landed his second Kingston Town Classic with Regal Power, having partnered Pounamu to win in 2017.

"I'm just really thankful for the ride," Carbery said. "Commiserations to Willie, but he's always been forthright in talking about the horse. We talked about the race together, what did I think, what did he think, and obviously he was going to do his thing and I was going to do my thing. And it was probably good to be on the underdog out of the two. I'm super proud of the horse."

Regal Power, by Pierro, out of the Redoute's Choice  mare Broadway Belle, hails from the family of three-time group 1 winner and 2018 Kingston Town Classic heroine Arcadia Queen. He is a full brother to Schweppes W.A.T.C. Derby (G2) victor Action (AUS).

Unsurprisingly, Pierro has been Broadway Belle's partner of choice in recent years, with the pair producing a 2-year-old filly named Regal Order and a yearling colt named Regal Service. Broadway Belle missed in 2020, but she was served by Pierro once more in October in the hope that the next Regal Power may be around the corner.