Saturday preview: Overpass and Jokers Grin ready for rematch

Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix

Old versus gold: Overpass or Jokers Grin?

Inevitably, all eyes will be on Bjorn Baker’s Overpass (Vancouver) on Saturday where the gelding returns to Western Australia to continue his dominance in the region. The 7-year-old has only been beaten in Perth once, and he was the victor in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes last year under heavy favouritism.

His jockey Joshua Parr has reason to believe this year will be no different - particularly when the locals have commented that Overpass looks just as good as last year.

Speaking on RSN’s Giddy Up podcast on Thursday, he said, “that’s a good observation (from them), and it backs up what you hear from Bjorn and myself constantly. He’s a horse that needs to be fresh, he needs to have spaced runs, and when he’s in that mindset, this is the horse you get.

“He’s a really fit and healthy horse, and he looks fantastic in his coat. That’s what they’re seeing at the moment, and they didn’t get to see that in the autumn for the Quokka because he was coming off that TJ Smith run and he was just a little bit flat.”

That autumnal defeat came at the hands of Jokers Grin (Maschino), who bounces into Saturday off consecutive Group 3 wins this spring. The 5-year-old won the $5 million Quokka from the widest gate, so it was a pleasant surprise for jockey Patrick Carberry to draw barrier six for his top level assignment.

"He's drawn middle of the way, so we'll just work it out and show everyone what he can do,” he told RSN earlier in the week. "He's not the only horse in the race. He always runs well here, obviously, and he seems to thrive when he comes to Perth.

“He looks a million dollars, but the horses that have come from over East, they're no slouches either. They're all being prepared to win it."

And they don’t come unless their trainers are certain they have the credentials. While conceding Jokers Grin is undoubtedly the horse’s biggest threat, Parr is sure that Overpass still has his blistering speed that will down his rivals again, despite being run down by Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) with freakish ease in the G1 The Everest.

“In Winterbottoms and Quokkas gone by, there has been suggestions from others that they might be able to match his speed or go with him,” Parr said. “Bravo Centurion did in the Winterbottom last year, but I don’t think he’s been able to lift his head since. Overpass is such a fast horse and travels at a speed that gets a lot of horses very uncomfortable.”

Big pedigree juveniles on show as road to Magics beckons

As we head towards the Magic Millions carnival - and the all-important Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale to kick off the yearling sale season - more juveniles hit the races in preparation for summer riches, and a number of big pedigrees will be turning heads across three tracks on Saturday.

The Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Caulfield provides a launchpad for the career of Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler), half-brother to Group 2-winning, Group 1-placed Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}) who has been unbeaten in his two jump-outs for Philip Stokes.

“He’s going to be a ripper,” jockey Lachlan Neindorf declared to racenet.com on Thursday.

“We like the horse so we've thrown him in the deep end a little bit in a Merson Cooper, but we feel he can be competitive,” Stokes told racing.com earlier in the week. "From day one, he's been a nice, progressive sort of horse, so I'm hoping he can make his presence felt there.”

Lindsay Park will also send out Listed-placed Free Flying (Snitzel), a half-sister to Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) for a third run this preparation. The filly was runner-up in the Listed Debutante Stakes this preparation.

Fresh off of a debut third in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate, Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s Luna Vega (Lucky Vega {Ire}) also steps up to the plate in the Listed contest. The Yulong-bred and owned filly's dam Lucid Dreamer (GB) (Dansili {GB}) is a winning half-sister to dual G1 Diana Stakes winner Whitebeam (USA) (Caravaggio {USA}), out of a half-sister to European Champion 3YO Stayer Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

One of the most exciting debutants at Rosehill Gardens in the $160,000 opener is Belvante (Farnan), a half-brother to G3 Gimcrack Stakes winner Bel Merci (Extreme Choice), and her close relative Dr Hook (Too Darn Hot {GB}), whose second dam is a full sister to their dam Bel Mer (Bel Esprit).

Internal Affairs (Home Affairs) is the latest foal to hit the track from Argentinian Champion 2YO Filly and multiple Group 1 winner Kononkop (Arg) (Pure Prize {USA}), and Amelita’s (Zousain) full sister Jaipur Maison is one of several Max Lees Classic runners to make the jump to metropolitan racing.

Home Affairs is the only first season sire with more than one runner this Saturday, with a runner each side of the Tasman - Home Secretary carries his flag at Ellerslie - but there’s also runners for precocious sires Tiger Of Malay, Wild Ruler, and Extreme Warrior. Rosemont Stud resident Extreme Warrior is the only one of the pack with an Australian winner, with Home Affairs striking in New Zealand earlier in the season and the other two hoping to get off the mark on Saturday.

Ghaiyyath still strong atop second season sires

As the spring draws to a close, the top five of the second season sire table looks a little bit different. Darley shuttler Ghaiyyath (Ire) has shot to the top with the arrival of his first 3-year-olds and has a clear $450,000 lead at present over Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk.

Table: Second season sires table (as of Friday morning)

It’s no surprise, then, to see two of Ghaiyyath’s runners line up in the $400,000 Whispering Angel Classic at Caulfield on Saturday; last start Listed winner Different Gravy is joined by Gold Topaz, also a winner at his last start who was a strong fourth in that aforementioned Listed every.

The long-term plan for Different Gravy is the G1 Queensland Derby, as trainer Henry Dwyer shared with racenet.com on Friday.

“Hopefully he can be in the first half of the field,” he said. “He’s a really nice horse, he could’ve probably pushed on to the Victoria Derby this preparation and I just didn’t quite think he was ready. If this race hadn’t been here at the tailend of spring, and we identified it early, we probably would’ve gone to the Victoria Derby.”

The newly launched $400,000 feature promises a tantalising $220,000 to the winner, and Dwyer spotted the potential early to end the gelding’s spring on a high. Dodging the G1 Victoria Derby winner, a fellow son of Ghaiyyath in Observer, doubly made the Classic a particularly inviting carrot.

“We could worry about Derbies next time,” he said. “The owner is a Queenslander and he’s very keen to get him to the Queensland Derby, so that’s the long range plan.”

Second seed Ole Kirk has been continuing on a similar trajectory to his first season, recently scoring his maiden Group 1 winner, but only has the one opportunity to add to his prize pool on Saturday with maiden I Am Ole. However his spot in the table is safe, with an almost $400,000 gap to third-placed Wootton Bassett (GB).

Eighth last year and in fourth spot now, Bivouac may only have the two runners on Saturday, but both are taking swings at stakes grade; Davida will try to score in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes at Caulfield, and Luana Miss steps up to primetime in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes. The filly is a winner of four of her six starts, although Perth racing media presenter Michael Heaton was less than thrilled with the filly’s wide draw for Saturday.

“It’s always difficult for the 3-year-olds in the sprinting weight-for-age series,” he told RSN’s Giddy Up podcast on Thursday. “I think that if she is able to run top four from there, then she’s done a good job.”

Tagaloa, rising from ninth to fifth, rounds out the top five courtesy of his fillies flying the flag recently. He has two more daughters facing off in Race 4 at Kembla Grange on Saturday.

Zipping Classic to launch Caulfield Cup plan for Hustler

Grahame Begg’s She’s A Hustler (NZ) (Ace High) has ambitious plans for 2026 if she can pull off a top tier performance in the G2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield on Saturday. The 5-year-old added a sixth win in 10 starts to her record, and a first at stakes level, at the second start of her current prep in the G3 Tesio Stakes, before running third to Sunset Park (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) last start in the G2 Matriarch Stakes.

That run also saw her beat fellow Zipping competitor Alalcance (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who will carry a kilo less on Saturday courtesy of the weight-for-age conditions.

Begg’s mare has never been out of the placings in her 10-start career and while she faces a significant test on Saturday, where the 14-horse field is fronted by four Group 1 winners, Begg has the faith that it’s the right time for the mare to step up.

"She hasn't stepped much past 2000 metres, so we just felt it's time she does get a bit of seasoning by stepping to 2400 metres," he told racenet.com on Friday. "Give us that bit of intel on where we go next year. We've given her plenty of time, haven't overraced her, overtaxed her.

"What she's doing now is what we set out to do, giving her opportunities to reach full maturity before stepping her up in grade."

The market certainly favours the daughter of Ace High, who is one of four runners in single figures alongside Alalcance and the top seeds Light Infantry Man (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) and Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

A G1 Caulfield Cup could be in her sights for next spring if she can prove herself at the distance beforehand.

"She's obviously coming out of mares' company, stepping up to weight for age, but we feel it's the right opportunity," Begg said. "A lot of them (opposition) are coming off pretty stern preparations, they've chased qualifying for the Cups and all that, our mare is only fourth up.

"We feel she's at the top of her game going into Saturday."

You Wahng calls by Festival Stakes en route to Group 1 return

Last season’s G1 Queensland Oaks victress You Wahng (So You Think {NZ}) makes her racetrack return on Saturday in Rosehill’s G3 Festival Stakes, a popular Group 1 primer - and trainer Kris Lees certainly hopes it can aid in preparing the 4-year-old mare for a return to the top level.

It’s a family that Lees is very familiar with, having trained both You Wahng’s dam and her full sister So Newchee Thinks, and he is ready to be patient with the mare to produce her best.

“It's a family I know plenty about, so for her to achieve what she did at three is exciting," Lees told racenet.com on Friday. “I trained the mum and the full sister, and they didn't come into their own until they were older mares.

"I think this mare will continue to develop and in time maybe progress to the top level of open company. I think she's capable of that. The biggest question is when.”

Her first run in open company on Saturday will set the tone for a four-start summer preparation that should culminate at the Magic Millions raceday at the Gold Coast on January 17. Bypassing the spring carnivals on the Eastern seaboard was an intentional plot, one that Lees has developed from experience.

“It's never easy for an Oaks-winning filly in the spring of their 4-year-old season, especially one that is and was still furnishing and growing into her body," he said. "So I chose to let her enjoy some spring grass after Brisbane and be ready to go over summer.

"Of all the good fillies I've had, only Lucia Valentina was good enough to win a Group 1 as a spring 4-year-old and she too was a better horse as a 5-year-old. I think it's more beneficial to allow them time to mature and continue to grow.

"You're asking them to go from junior footy to the NRL. You still have to race them, but you pick your mark which is what we've done with her."