Holly Watson pins Group 1 hope on veteran

PERTH – A flood of unashamed emotion will come for Holly Watson if she becomes Western Australia (WA)’s first Group 1-winning female jockey from piloting Comfort Me to victory in the A$1.5 million (S$1.27 million) Group 1 Railway Stakes (1,600m) at Ascot on Nov 22.

Watson said she would not be able to contain herself if she won the coveted prize with her favourite warhorse, who has remarkably finished second in the Group 1 feature three times in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and ran seventh in the 2023 edition.

She had no doubt the Rhys Radford-trained nine-year-old could upset a star-studded field to go one better.

The 25-1 chance will face 15 other contenders, including the Grant and Alana Williams-trained 13-5 favourite Watch Me Rock, who will be ridden by top Perth jockey William Pike.

Comfort Me got a late split to finish a close runner-up in the 2024 Railway Stakes behind Port Lockroy.

“He doesn’t know he’s nine years old. He is an absolute beauty,” Watson said.

“He’s just been so consistent every time in these big races and you can’t obviously dismiss that. So, I think he’s definitely up to it.

“This is the best prep we’ve had since I’ve been riding him.”

Watson started her relationship with Comfort Me only in early 2024.

The pair beat Railway Stakes’ rivals Super Smink and Magnificent Andy to win the Group 3 Eurythmic Stakes (1,400m) at Ascot on Oct 19, 2024.

Her partner – and now Ascot trainer – Mitchell Pateman had previously ridden the son of Playing God for two wins during his stint as a jockey, and helped Watson secure the ride on Comfort Me, who has won more than A$1.7 million in prize money.

Watson’s Eurythmic win on Comfort Me came nearly three years after his previous victory in November 2021, when Pateman was still in the saddle.

But with Watson’s close affinity with the horse, she predicted emotional scenes if they could steal a Railway Stakes’ victory, which would give Watson a place in history as the first female WA rider to win a Group 1 race.

“It would be a massive, massive thrill,” she said.

“I was even just so thrilled that I ran second last year that I nearly cried. If he could win, I think I’d just burst out in tears, and if he could go out with a bang, it would be just unreal.”

Fellow female jockeys Lucy Fiore, who is on board Admiration Express (70-1), and Tash Faithful, who will ride Let’s Galahvant (80-1), will also be shooting for Group 1 glory.

Watson said she will rue the day she can no longer ride Comfort Me, whom she described as a horse with the “perfect” character.

She said every time the pair went to trackwork or out to race, she even allowed him the chance to stop and stare at the city in the background.

“He is an amazing horse and every time he goes out, he tries so hard and you just know he’s going to give his 100 per cent every time,” she said.

“Everyone loves following him in a race because he’s always going to take you into it. I really love him to bits and I look forward to riding him every day I can.

“He’s just the coolest dude that ever was. He’s so cool, calm and collected and presents himself so well all the time and his demeanour is just perfect.

“He’s an absolute marvel and I’m going to be really sad when he retires because you just don’t get many of these horses along the way. But he’s given me a ride in another Group 1 this year, so I couldn’t ask for much more – I’m very blessed.” RACING WA