Local hero Marasco is strongly fancied to emulate his trainer Fred Kersley's former champion Northerly and win Saturday's Group One $1 million Railway Stakes at Ascot."Mighty M" is much loved in Western Australia after racking up 13 wins from 27 starts for prizemoney approaching $1.4 million, still a long way shy of Northerly's outstanding record of 19 wins, including two Cox Plates and the 2000 Railway Stakes, for prizemoney in excess of $9.3 million.The Scenic six-year-old, who will be ridden

Local hero Marasco is strongly fancied to emulate his trainer Fred Kersley's former champion Northerly and win Saturday's Group One $1 million Railway Stakes at Ascot.

"Mighty M" is much loved in Western Australia after racking up 13 wins from 27 starts for prizemoney approaching $1.4 million, still a long way shy of Northerly's outstanding record of 19 wins, including two Cox Plates and the 2000 Railway Stakes, for prizemoney in excess of $9.3 million.

The Scenic six-year-old, who will be ridden by 22-year-old star William Pike, is currently third favourite at $6 with TAB Sportsbet after being $6.50 during the week but a flood of local money is expected to result in him challenging for favouritism on race day.

Marasco, who has drawn awkwardly in barrier 14 in the 16-strong 1600m feature, has raced in five Group Ones previously for seconds to El Segundo in the 2007 Orr Stakes and Pompeii Ruler in last year's Australian Cup and a third to Rubiscent in the 2007 Underwood Stakes.

Pike steered him to a comfortable 1-1/2 length win at his last start in the Group Two Lee Steere Stakes (1400m) at Ascot two weeks ago.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Bank Robber, to be ridden by Melbourne Cup-winning jockey Blake Shinn, is the easing Railway Stakes favourite at $5 ahead of Craig Newitt's mount Rightfully Yours from the Mick Price yard at $5.50.

Latest TAB Sportsbet market.-

5.00 Bank Robber

5.50 Rightfully Yours

6.00 Marasco

8.50 Gilded Venom

9.50 Sniper's Bullet

14.00 Majestical

16.00 Niconero

21.00 Famous Roman, Annenkov

23.00 The Fuzz

26.00 Pillar Of Hercules

31.00 Tarzi

35.00 Grand Nirvana

71.00 Hartleys Dream

81.00 Beat The Storm

151.00 I Command (Em)

201.00 Action Pak