Trainer Steve Wolfe holds big hopes for talented three-year-old Rope Them In ahead of Pinnacles feature races

Smart three-year-old Rope Them In is among the Albany horses entered in the Ascot carnival, with nominations released last week for the 2023 Pinnacles feature races.

Trained by Steve Wolfe, Rope Them In was a strong performer in a 1000m barrier trial at Albany last week.

Natasha Faithfull rode the talented son of Playing God in the hit-out and he was untouched going to the line to finish second behind trial winner and stablemate Hang Glider.

It was the perfect return from a short break for Rope Them In, who had two impressive Belmont victories to his name in the winter.

He won on debut as a two-year-old in June over 1000m and then ran third behind King Cartel before jumping to 1400m when beating Paris Calling despite a wide draw at Belmont on July 1.

Wolfe has big plans for his young star in the Ascot carnival, with Rope Them In holding nominations in Group 1 feature races the Winterbottom Stakes and Northerly Stakes.

Rope Them In is nominated for the listed $500,000 Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) on November 18 along with the Group 2 $500,000 WA Guineas (1600m) a week later.

Wolfe also has the gelding nominated for the $1.5million Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) on December 2 and the $1.5million Northerly Stakes (1800m) on December 9.

Former jockey and Albany resident Mitchell Pateman has star gelding Almighty Class entered in the Placid Ark Stakes, WA Guineas, Winterbottom Stakes, Northerly Stakes and the $1.5million Damien Oliver Gold Rush on December 16.

Wolfe has Currimundi, stable star Red Can Man and rising galloper River Rubicon nominated for the Gold Rush.

Red Can Man holds entries in the Winterbottom Stakes and Railways Stakes, following on from his strong win in the listed R.S Crawford Stakes on Saturday.

Brave Spirt from the Wolfe yard is another nominated for the WA Guineas while Albany-raised trainer Indianna Weinert has Skytalker entered.

Pateman’s Mojo Rhythm is in the nominations for the Railways Stakes and Northerly Stakes.

Currimundi and River Rubicon are entered in the Railway Stakes and Northerly Stakes while Wolfe’s Catch These Hands is a sole nomination in the Northerly.

Albany trainer Roy Rogers has Halatorion nominated for the Winterbottom Stakes and Gold Rush.

Pateman’s Little Strawberry is among 68 entries for the Winterbottom Stakes and Weinert’s Skytalker is among the 106 nominations for the Northerly Stakes.