ASCOT REMATCH WELL AND TRULY ON

By Graham Potter | Friday, May 1, 2026

Many of the feature races at Ascot over the past four months have featured a ‘rematch’ between two or more contenders who had clashed earlier and were now renewing their rivalry.

The Group 3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes, which will be contested at Ascot on Saturday, is no exception.

Key runners here are Afireofgidgeecoals and Beatty who finished first and second in the Group 2 Karrakatta two weeks ago, separated by 0.88 lengths when meeting at level eights which they will do again on Saturday.

Beatty was by far the better fancied of the two runners that day, being second favourite at $4.40, (behind Arum Belle), while Afireofgidgeecoals was neglected in the betting at $31, but there was no fluke involved in the boilover with Lucy Fiore riding a peach of a race aboard Afireofgidgeecoals who remained strong to line with the Daniel Morton trained runner holding Beatty over the concluding stages.

While nobody could realistically deny the merit of Afireofgidgeecoals win, the followers of Beatty strongly made the theoretical point that the result might have been different had Beatty not blown the start in dramatic fashion, a circumstance which left him with it all to do when racing well off the speed in the early part.

Fact of the matter though is that Beatty was only a little over two lengths behind Afireofgidgeecoals throughout the running and, while Fiore did switch out on cue to give Afireofgidgeecoals first run on Beatty in the straight, Beatty only made up ground marginally on Afireofgidgeecoals over the concluding stages making the winner full value for his victory as he consigned both Beatty and Arum Belle (who finished third) to their first career defeats.

Part of the ‘controversy’ surrounding the start was the delay involved before the field was ready to jump … some six minutes by some counts … which, again, hypothetically, could have compromised Beatty’s chances, given he was so badly away with finally called into action.

So, arguably, both Afireofgidgeecoals and Beatty have a point to prove on Saturday with Lucy Foire (Afireofgidgeecoals) and Willie Pike (Beattie) well prepared and motivated for a tactical battle which will now be over 1400m as opposed to the 1200m trip of the Karrakatta.

These two horse were drawn next to each later last time (in barriers one and two) and they are drawn next to each other again (in barriers seven and eight), at level weights (again) with the same jockeys as before.

The betting shows a huge positive lean towards Beatty who topped the boards at $1.80 with Afireofgidgeecoals on offer at $4.40 … with these horses being the only two runners quoted at odds of less than $11.

The rematch is well and truly on!