Winterbottom Stakes 2025 - Barrier Draw & Final Field

Bets.com.au Staff

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Last updated: Wed 26 Nov 2025 06:14

Bets.com.au Staff 26 Nov 2025

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The barrier draw has been completed for the Winterbottom Stakes
The 2025 edition will be contested on Saturday, November 29
Final field is included below

Benedetta has drawn barrier nine in the 2025 Winterbottom Stakes. (Getty)

The Winterbottom Stakes is the second Group 1 of The Pinnacles, with Perth’s premier weight-for-age sprint taking centre stage at Ascot on Saturday, November 29.

Winterbottom Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field
Winterbottom Stakes Winners

Jokers Grin (barrier 6) stands out as the leading local contender for the 2025 Winterbottom Stakes, and with nine wins and two seconds from just 12 appearances, the Bernie Miller-trained star has put together an imposing strike-rate.

He resumed in ideal fashion with a sharp 1000m victory in the Prince Of Wales Stakes before sweeping around rivals to take out the Group 3 Colonel Reeves over 1100m, reaffirming his status as Western Australia’s premier sprinter.

The gelding’s only unplaced run came on debut in May last year, and his brilliant Quokka success in April confirmed his ability to match motors with Australia’s very best short-course performers.

Overpass (barrier 3) shapes as a major threat once again, particularly given his outstanding record at Ascot, where the Bjorn Baker-trained galloper has won four of five attempts. He tuned up with a trial after finishing fourth when resuming in The Everest and now returns to a track he has dominated, having secured the past two editions of this race.

A third Winterbottom crown would place him in rarefied company, as no horse has previously claimed the race on three occasions.

Luana Miss (barrier 11) profiles as the rising star among this year’s challengers, with the Trevor Andrews-trained filly bidding to become the first three-year-old since Hardrada in 2002 to win the event.

She has been highly impressive in her short career, winning four of six starts and producing a strong pair of Ascot victories following an eye-catching spring return.

Rey Magnerio (barrier 8) adds further depth to the field, with the consistent Eastern States raider resuming in October with a sharp 1000m Caulfield win before finishing an unlucky third at Flemington.

The six-year-old has continued to race with trademark honesty and remains a genuine top-end competitor.

Rope Them In (barrier 10) also returns to 1200m third-up after kicking off his preparation with a track-and-trip success before stretching out to 1400m in the Asian Beau Stakes.

He chased home Watch Me Rock in that Group 3 — a result that gained further merit when the winner claimed the Group 1 Railway Stakes last weekend — and finished ahead of Cosmic Crusader and Storyville, both of whom have since won at stakes level.

Benedetta (barrier 9) commands respect as a Group 1-winning sprinter, and last year’s Goodwood heroine can take another step forward now that she has two runs under the belt this campaign.

Winterbottom Stakes 2025 - Barriers & Final Field

No.	Horse	Trainer	Jockey	Barrier	Weight
1	Overpass	Bjorn Baker	Joshua Parr	3	58.5kg
2	Jokers Grin	Bernie Miller	Patrick Carbery	6	58.5kg
3	Oscar’s Fortune	Dion Luciani	Chris Parnham	5	58.5kg
4	Rey Magnerio	Robbie Griffiths	William Pike	8	58.5kg
5	Rope Them In	Steve Wolfe	Shaun McGruddy	10	58.5kg
6	Libertad	Annabel & Rob Archibald	Jamie Mott	2	58.5kg
7	Man Crush	Luke Fernie	Holly Watson	7	58.5kg
8	Spacewalk	Grant & Alana Williams	Lucy Fiore	1	58.5kg
9	Repossession	Chris & Michael Gangemi	Brad Parnham	4	58.5kg
10	Benedetta	Ciaron Maher	Daniel Stackhouse	9	56.5kg
11	Luana Miss	Trevor Andrews	Shaun O'Donnell	11	51.5kg

Winterbottom Stakes Winners

The Winterbottom Stakes stands as Western Australia’s flagship sprinting event — a 1200m weight-for-age Group 1 staged annually at Ascot.

Carrying a purse of $1.5 million, it is one of three elite-level races run on successive weekends in Perth and plays a central role in The Pinnacles racing carnival.

Since the prize money climbed into seven-figure territory, the Winterbottom has consistently drawn top-class sprinters from interstate, with the likes of Voodoo Lad, Viddora and Buffering all making successful raids from the east. High-profile stars such as Takeover Target and Ortensia also ventured west to secure victories in this renowned sprint.

Recent history has been dominated by modern standouts, with Paulele winning in 2022 before Overpass completed back-to-back triumphs in 2023 and 2024.