Stradbroke Handicap winner Trekking is the early favourite for the 2019 Group 1 $1m Crown Perth Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Trekking, above, is the early favourite for the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Trekking, above, is the early favourite for the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot in Perth. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.

Trekking heads the Winterbottom Stakes market order at Ladbrokes.com.au at $2.80 ahead of the local sprinters Flirtini at $5.50 and Vital Silver at $6.

The James Cummings trained Trekking claimed Group 1 glory with his win in the $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm during the 2019 Brisbane Winter Carnival and is on track to claim a second win at the elite level.

Cummings has given Trekking four Spring Carnival outings before heading to Perth, including a third behind Yes Yes Yes and Santa Ana Lane in the $14m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 19.

“He has thrived since the Everest,” Cummings told AAP.

“His run in that race was massive and the form from the Everest should really stack up in the Winterbottom.”
“It will be nice to see him running well at the end of the month.”

Trekking kicked off his 2019 Spring Carnival campaign with a first up eighth in the Group 1 $1m Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 27 and then went on to win Group 2 $400,000 Alpha Romeo Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield a fortnight later.

A third in The Everest was Trekking’s next run before running second to Pierata in the $1m Redzel Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill November 2.

The Simon Miller trained Flirtini is the winner of five of her thirteen race starts, which includes wins in her last two starts at Ascot in the Group 3 $150,000 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1000m) on November 2 and in the Group 3 $150,000 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) a fortnight later.

Early betting for the 2019 Winterbottom Stakes at Ladbrokes.com.au: $2.80 Trekking, $5.50 Flirtini, $6 Vital Silver, $7 Hey Doc, $8 Valour Road, $10 Dubious, $14 Endless Drama, $15 Viridine, $16 Rock Magic, $19 Spirit Of Valor, $21 Stageman, $26 Misty Metal, $31 Arcadia Prince, Malibu Style, $34 Bam’s On Fire, $51 or better the rest.

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