Visiting owner-trainer Cindy Alderson continued a dream ride with Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) when the born-again sprinter led at every call in the $5 million BYD Quokka (1200m) on Saturday. Ascot’s large crowd also witnessed Afireofgidgeecoals (Too Darn Hot) announce his arrival on the big stage with a late charge to land the $500,000 G2 Karrakatta Plate.
Jigsaw is by Geisel Park sire Manhattan Rain (Encosta de Lago) and the winner’s portion of The Quokka prizemoney took his current-season earnings to $5.47 million which is right behind table-topper Playing God ($5.76 million). Playing God (Blackfriars) remains odds-on to claim a fourth WA premiership in 2025-26 but no sire has come that close at this time of the season since his first title in 2022-23.
Jigsaw was winning for the seventh time in a row in a sequence which includes Group 1 triumphs on both sides of the Tasman. “I’m lost for words – seven in a row, seven years old, it’s incredible,” Cranbourne-based Alderson said. “I turned down an offer to Hong Kong because he’s such a nice horse and it’s turned out we’ve had the ride of a lifetime.
“How could it get any better than this? I picked a spot near the winning post and I just stayed in the zone until the 100 metres when I started cheering, which is not normal for me.”
Afireofgidgeecoals (Photo / Western Racepix) had won an Ascot maiden in March and was placed behind Beatty in the LR Perth Stakes (LR 1100m) before turning the tables on Saturday. “That was awesome and it was a top ride by Lucy [Fiore],” trainer Dan Morton said after collecting his latest Karrakatta.
“I was confident he was tracking in the right direction this prep so it was disappointing to see him lose last time when he missed the kick. He’s a beautiful horse and I’ve had a big opinion of him since Day 1.”
Afireofgidgeecoals is by Darley shuttler Too Darn Hot and was bred and sold by Gray Williamson for $180,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale to Queenslander Shane Stafford. He’s the ninth individual winner from nine foals out of Caiguna (Dubai Destination) who won a LR Natasha Stakes (2200m) in 2012.
TBWA members also supplied another six winners on the support card at Perth’s richest race meeting of the season starting with Ridgeport Farm-bred Rainline (Rommel), Oakland Park homebred Snitzalatte (Snitzel) and Gold Front-bred Rock ‘N’ The Jam (Awesome Rock).
Peters Investments weighed in with another double courtesy of Westbound (Toronado) and Holler Nuff (Justify) following last Saturday week winners Western Lady (Toronado) and London’s Image (Headwater).
The cerise and white colours also saluted last Wednesday with Effortlessly (Churchill) in a Pinjarra maiden and Peters Investments was active at the Inglis HTBA Yearling Sale in Sydney on Sunday when purchasing an Anamoe – Profound Wisdom colt for $110,000 through Byerley Bloodstock.
Willaview Park signed off Satuday’s 10-race card with Sir Dreamalot (A Lot) in the Schweppes Hcp (1200m) to maintain a winning run in black-type for the Narrikup nursery. It started with homebred Aberdeen Flyer (Astern) in the LR John Roberts Stakes (2200m) and continued with top-class graduate Rope Them In (Playing God) in the G3 Roma Cup (1100m).
