Australia's best sprinters, including the former Perth sensation Hay List, are set to be drawn to Western Australia in November following a massive prizemoney hike for the Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes at Ascot.

Perth Racing today announced a $250 000 increase in prize money for the Winterbottom Stakes (1200m), taking it to $750,000 and making it the third richest sprint race in Australia.

The stakes increase places the Winterbottom Stakes behind only the $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington and $1 million Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on the prizemoney list.

It surpasses the $650,000 Doomben Ten Thousand and and leaves six $500,000 sprints run in Melbourne and Sydney behind.

The Winterbottom Stakes will be run on November 27, a date that should attract a crack representation from the eastern states as it will be three weeks after the top sprint race of the Melbourne spring carnival, the $500,000 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 6.

Top of the list among the horses Perth Racing hopes to attract to the Winterbottom will be Hay List, the former Perth star poised to become Australia's new sprint king following his brilliant Healy Stakes win in Brisbane last month.

He is now trained in NSW by former Perth trainer John McNair, who has already discussed a return to WA with owners Terry and Liz Davenport.

"If he is going as well as we hope, it would be silly not to go back," McNair said.

"He knows the track and the other good thing is we still have a property in WA which we can set up to take him."

Hay List returned to training this week after a paddock break at McNair's property near Gosford.

McNair travelled to Victoria last week to inspect rural properties he could use as a base for Hay List's spring campaign in Melbourne.

Hay List is set to resume in the $200,000 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on September 11.

McNair confirmed that Glyn Schofield has the first offer to ride Hay List in the spring with his Healy Stakes jockey Chris Munce first reserve.

Perth Racing chairman Ted Van Heemst said the $250,000 increase for the Winterbottom Stakes is designed to emphasize the growing stature of the race and hasten its recognition as a G1 event.

In recent years the Winterbottom Stakes has rated above the 110 benchmark required for Group 1 status and is under review by Australian Pattern Committee.

Two years ago sprint champions Takeover Target and Apache Cat fought out a memorable finish in the Winterbottom Stakes and last year the classy mare Ortensia, subsequent winner of the G1 Galaxy at the Randwick autumn carnival, stormed to an exciting win.

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