Watts Up Partytime winning the 2025 Great Southern Star
WATTS Up Partytime’s Great Southern Star title defence is a goer.
The six-year-old returned from a spell in a new stable and sparkled at Menangle last night.
Back with his original trainer-driver Rickie Alchin, Watts Up Partytime led throughout to thrash a handy field in a slick 1min53sec mile. He ripped home in 55.3 and 27.4sec.
It was his first start since finishing ninth at Melton on October 18, last year.
Watts Up Partytime caused a huge upset winning his heat and final of the Great Southern Star last year for Kate and Andy Gath.
He switched stables for a brief stint with Chris Lang and Sonia Mahar before returning to Alchin in NSW late last year.
“All the signs were he’d come back really well and he was good in a couple of trials, but I just wanted to see him do it at the races before we took him all the way to Victoria to race the best,” Alchin said.
“That’s why I kept him here (Menangle) to race instead of going down for the big race at Kilmore last night.
“He did everything I hoped for last night and we’ll head down next week. He felt fantastic.”
Watts Up Partytime adds some much needed depth and class to the Great Southern Star, which most believe will be dominated by the freakish Keayang Zahara, who has won 23 of her 24 starts, including 12 at Group 1 level.
Keayang Zahara’s stablemate, Jilliby Ballerini, brilliantly won last night’s Group 2 Kilmore Trotters’ Cup for her 14th win in her past 19 starts.
But she caused a false start in the first attempt at the race and has been placed out of the barrier draw for the heat and final of the Great Southern Star.
PHOTO: Stuart McCormick
