Karrakatta Plate

Winners and Past Results for the karrakatta Plate.

The Karrakatta Plate hosted by Perth Racing is an open race held in March at Ascot Racecourse, Perth during the autumn racing carnival.

The Group 2 race is held under set weight conditions with two year old horses travelling a distance of 1200 metres for a shot at prize money worth $500,000. The Western Australian Oaks is also held on the same day. The Karrakatta Plate suits the above average sprinter who can take advantage of the set weight conditions where fillies carry 54 kg and colts and geldings carry 56 kg.

The Karrakatta Plate has been held since 1900 with Willie recorded as the first winner. It was awarded Group 2 status in 1979 and in 1985 became a Group 1 event. However, since 1999 the Karrakatta Plate is a Group 2 race. The premier event for two year olds at Ascot may have a field that later moves on to tackle the Group 3 Sires Produce Stakes over 1400 metres on the same track. In recent years a number of horses have scored a Karrakatta Plate/Sires Produce Stakes double which include Roman Time, Brava Fortune, and Motion Pictures in 2007, 2008 and 2010 respectively. A number of place getters have repeated their feat in the Sires Produce Stakes as well. In 2009, Wolfe Dreams was runner up in both events.

2011 Karrakatta Plate winner, Night War, came into the race with a win in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes over 1100 metres on the same track. Runner up in 2011, Benny's Halo went on to place fourth in the Sires Produce Stakes. Motion Pictures, winner in 2008 came into the race after running third in the Gimcrack Stakes.

For Perth Racing, the Karrakatta Plate is the west coast's version of the Golden Slipper on a smaller scale with half a million dollars up for grabs. Over the years, a few horses have travelled for the event from the east. Among the sprinters to win the Karrakatta Plate include Daney Boy in 1995, Bomber Bill in 1998, Canny Jack in 2006, Brava Fortune in 2007 and Gold Rocks in 2008.