Terrific Kerrific's Railway bid

A realtor, a jeweller, a meat processing plant manager and a mechanical planner are hoping for the biggest payday of their lives as they prepare to watch comeback galloper Kerrific take on the $1 million Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot tomorrow.

South West quartet Ray Germon, Mazin Kaddoura, Andrew Costello and Vic Logue are co-owners of the seven- year-old gelding which captured the racing world’s imagination when he won the Group 3 $125,000 RJ Peters Stakes (1500m) at the track last weekend, just five months after suffering a career-threatening injury.

“After winning the (Group 3) Belmont Sprint (1400m) in June, he was sent to the paddock for a spell and on his first or second day he slipped and ended up with a hairline fracture in his hind leg,” Logue said.

“For most horses that kind of injury means the end of their career, so we thought it was all over.”

Five months on and Kerrific had other ideas, storming down the home straight after turning fifth to win the RJ Peters by a neck from Elite Belle — a horse trained by the race’s namesake and WA racing icon Bob Peters.

That win brought automatic entry into the Railway — one of the richest events on the WA racing calendar.

“Just having Kerrific racing again is a plus, but to actually win the RJ Peters Stakes carrying second topweight was a massive surprise,” Logue said.

“We’re all very, very excited and feel like we’re in with a shot.”

Kerrific’s trainer Bruce Watkins won the Railway Stakes with El Presidente in 2007 and on that occasion his horse also won the RJ Peters Stakes.”

Germon, an Australind real estate agent, is confident of Kerrific’s chances despite the gelding having drawn barrier 11 of 16 and facing stiff competition from a posse of highly-fancied Victorian raiders.

“No one is giving us a chance, which is great because we weren’t mentioned last week ahead of the RJ Peters Stakes either,” he said.

“We flew under the radar and surprised everyone and we’re more than happy being the country bumpkins swooping in and taking the city money.”

Kerrific has won 13 of his 39 starts for total stakes earnings of $567,500 and will be ridden in the Railway by Daniel Staeck, who also guided him to victory in the Belmont Sprint.