Global Weekly Preview: Classic memories of an Aussie champion in the West

Memories of 'The King,' the magnificent weight-for-age star who dominated Australian racing in the early 1980s, are annually revived with the running of the G1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot (WA) in Perth.

The Tommy Smith-trained Kingston Town won 14 Group 1s, including three Cox Plates, during an illustrious career, in which he won 30 of his 41 starts. He was a true champion, and if he had been around in the current era, he would have made his mark, from Hong Kong to Dubai and Europe.

This year's Kingston Town Classic, over 1,800m, brings together a fine collection of G1 aspirants, several of whom are looking for that extra 200m to give them an edge.

One in this category is the crack New Zealand six-year-old Kawi. He made up significant ground at the end of the G1 Railway Stakes at Ascot on November 19, giving away a lot of weight to his rivals. He is meeting them on much better terms this time.

Scales Of Justice, who won the Railway, is progressive, having won his last three starts, but this represents his toughest test so far.

Leading owner Bob Peters has four runners in the Kingston Town, with the mare Perfect Reflection, last year's winner, looking the pick of them. But stablemate Disposition may be one to upset calculations.

The other contender worth looking at closely is the Chris Waller-trained Good Project, the runner-up in the Railway, who is racing in great form at present.

Another feature in world racing this weekend is the G1 Hollywood Derby, over nine furlongs at Del Mar, on California's West Coast.

Chad Brown is the trainer to follow here, sending out three of the 12 runners, namely Beach Patrol, Camelot Kitten and Annals Of Time.

The Hollywood Derby, first run in 1938, was switched to Del Mar when Hollywood Park closed its  doors a couple of years back. The distance was also reduced from a mile and a quarter to nine furlongs following the change of venue.