Wide draw only blight on Character in 2025 Railway Stakes

A Railway Stakes boilover from the late 1980s is proving the perfect source of hope for Annabel Archibald as she prepares Depth Of Character for his toughest assignment yet in Perth.

Archibald tasted Group 1 glory last year when Port Lockroy scored from barrier seven, but her confidence took a hit when Depth Of Character drew the widest stall in Saturday’s 16-runner renewal—until she remembered Marwong.

“There was a horse called Marwong, who Simon Marshall won on when he was seventeen years old,” Archibald said.

“It won from (barrier) sixteen in 1988, so I got it up on YouTube.

“I think there have been three winners from that gate. It’s due again.”

Deep draw aside, the gelding mirrors the blueprint that worked so well with Port Lockroy.

Both arrived off strong performances in the Golden Eagle (1500m), with Depth Of Character attacking the line from the rear to finish fourth behind Autumn Glow.

That followed a luckless run in the Silver Eagle (1300m), and this weekend he gains the services of in-form rider Reece Jones, who is fresh off a Five Diamonds win aboard Vivy Air.

“Reece is riding in really good form at the moment and it’s nice to give him a Group One opportunity,” Archibald said.

“The horse profiles well. He is coming off the back of a really good run in the Golden Eagle.

“Probably a similar run to what we had with Port Lockroy the year before.

“But Depth Of Character is better credentialled. He is a Group Two winner, and he was unlucky not to run second in the Silver Eagle. He never got off the bridle and was uncontested to the line.

“He is going well. He is just going to need luck.”

Only one other eastern-state trainer has claimed the Railway Stakes (1600m) in the past ten years, a period marked by Western Australian dominance.

Grant and Alana Williams collected the trophy four years running from 2018-21 and send three runners into Saturday’s field, supported by two of the four emergencies.