News

Overpass in $4m Quokka bonanza

15th Apr 2023

Star sprinter Overpass (Vancouver) clung on desperately to seal a place in the history books at Ascot today as the winner of the first edition of The Tabtouch Quokka (1200m), the $4 million slot race that is Western Australia’s richest event.

Bred by the Altomonte family of Corumbene Stud, the Bjorn Baker-trained son of Vancouver was a bargain $75,000 purchase for syndicators Darby Bloodstock and Will Johnson Bloodstock at the special Round 2 of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in 2020.

Thanks to today’s thrilling nose win and The Quokka’s $2 million first prize, the four-year-old has now won $3,692,400, having last year also taken two other prominent 1200m races in Flemington’s $750,000 Inglis Sprint, and the G2 Expressway Stakes at Randwick.

Resuming from a spell, Overpass jumped well from gate eight and was taken to the front by Josh Parr in a front-running ride that was both daring and perfectly judged. The gelding was briefly headed at the 200m but dug deep to regain the lead, and held on with a bob of the head to hold out the fast-finishing favourite, West Australia’s star filly Amelia’s Jewel.

Another Inglis graduate claimed third place in G1-winning mare Bella Nipotina - an $80,000 purchase from Rosemont Stud’s draft at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, whose $400,000 cheque took her prizemoney to $3.9 million.

Corumbene’s remarkable 87-year-old breeder George Altomonte said he was overjoyed for Overpass’ owners and delighted to have bred the inaugural winner of WA’s richest race.

“To have bred the first winner is great. A feather in the cap,” Altomonte said. “Mind you, we do get winners. We’ve got a good track record for a relatively small operation.”

“Everything was a bit up in the air during the pandemic,” said Altomonte, best known as the breeder of Golden Slipper winner Sebring. “I thought he was a bargain buy for the owners, but I’m happy for them. There seemed to have been plenty of them at Ascot, and they’ll have plenty to celebrate.”

Trainer Bjorn Baker was ecstatic after pulling off his western mission in such heart-stopping fashion.

“Absolutely super,” the Warwick Farm trainer said after the race. “He’s a great horse fresh. I thought he looked spot on today.”

At Morphettville today, Inglis Classic graduate Jennilala (Shalaa) put herself forward as a strong candidate for the G1 Australasian Oaks in 14 days with a win in the G3 SAJC Auraria Stakes for 3YO fillies over 1800m.

Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Jennilala settled at the back of the field under Declan Bates before surging home down the outside to win by almost a length, giving her two wins alongside two placings from six starts.

Offered at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by breeders Arrowfield, Jennilala was bought for just $70,000 by Tony Ottobre, the former apprentice jockey and Lindsay Park trackwork rider who now owns a large team of horses named for his late daughter Jennifer, who died of brain cancer in 2015.

Jennilala is out of the Manhattan Rain mare Rosarian, a half-sister to Stakes winner Members Joy, dam of dual G2 winning Inglis Premier yearling Pure Elation.

At Sandown, Inglis Premier Yearling Sale graduate Russian Dancer (Impending) took out the $500,000 VOBIS Sires Guineas (1600m), to score his fourth win from just eight starts.

The exciting 3YO gelding - who’s only missed a place once, in his heavy track debut - was bred by Andrew Calvert and Julia Dawes and was a $175,000 yearling purchase for trainer Phillip Stocks and Rick Connolly Bloodstock from the Daisy Hill draft.

Ridden well in behind the pace by Zac Spain in a strung out field, Russian Dancer surged home over the last 200m to claim the leader Toronto Terrier and win by almost a length, with the $296,000 first prizemoney taking his earnings beyond $400,000.

The pair completed an Inglis Premier quinella, with Toronto Terrier a $460,000 buy for Paul Moroney Bloodstock and trainer Mike Moroney from the Stonehouse Thoroughbreds draft.