Winterbottom Stakes (Group 1)

THE Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass, this year’s inaugural winner of the A$4 million Quokka at Ascot during April, returned to Western Australia to win the State’s biggest sprint on Saturday, the $1.5 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes.

An easing favourite, judged mainly on a lacklustre 10th in the $20 million Everest at his preceding start, Overpass was in the firing line as the 16-horse field rounded into the straight.

Jockey Josh Parr plotted a wide course on the bend, drifting to the middle of the track before balancing up the baldy-faced Vancouver gelding.

Powering right through to the line Overpass took out his maiden Group 1 win by an authoritative two-length margin. Second was the Rich Enuff gelding Oscar’s Fortune with the Written By geldling Ripcord in third.

“I watched race after race where horses were sitting back off the speed and swooping down the middle of the track to win,” said Parr. “It was starting to really play on my mind. So I was really pleased to come out and trust the horse’s ability to put the race to sleep.

“It was my idea to go out in the middle of the track in the straight, but I’m very thankful that the horse was on the same page as me.”

A winner now of seven from 25 with over $5.6 million in earnings, the five-year-old Overpass was a $75,000 Easter Yearling sale buy from the draft of Corumbene Stud by Scott Darby’s Darby Racing.

Overpass may have one more run in Perth and has been booked for a return trip to Ascot for next April’s Quokka.

“To win this race is pretty amazing,” said Baker, who trains out of Warwick Farm in Sydney.

“Josh Parr just rode him like the best horse. He is a big race rider and I’m thrilled for him. This horse also deserved to win a Group 1, no doubt.

“I really thought this horse could win The Everest, but he just wasn’t himself on that day.”

TOM Sherry landed a metropolitan double at Rosehill last Saturday. Successful on the New Zealand-bred Philipsburg for trainer James Ponsonby in the second, a 2,000m benchmark 72, Sherry completed his double in the Group 3 Festival Stakes, aboard Phearson for trainer Brad Widdup.

“I was confident today and so was Brad beforehand, then we found the front,” said Sherry. “We got the cheap sectional mid-race and it really paid dividends late in the piece and it panned out just as we planned.

“We hit the front and I was in a really nice rhythm. I upped the tempo from the 600 metres and because I had the experience of riding him last start, I was confident he would keep giving.”

Winning by a half-head, Sherry and Phearson had to survive a protest before being declared the winner with trainer Brad Widdup now contemplating a start in this Saturday’s $2 million The Ingham over 1,600 metres at Randwick.

The winner of which will gain an exemption into the Group 1 Doncaster Mile in April. “We might race next week, we will see what happens,” said Widdup. “I wouldn’t be frightened to back him up for sure.

“He is a horse that has shown a hell of a lot of promise. It was a terrific ride today. He did the work and it was terrific.”

New ‘show’ for Nature Strip

THE 2022 King’s Stand Stakes winner Nature Strip stepped out at the Sydney Showjumping Club on Saturday to compete in his first show jumping competition in the 90 centimetre class.

Now owned by Group 1 winning jockey Kathy O’Hara, Nature Strip was ridden by Word Cup-winning rider Tom McDermott.

With two clear rounds to his name Nature Strip finished eighth of 18, having incurred a time penalty on his second round.

New Zealand

Diamond too strong in Jericho Cup

THE New Zealand-trained Nassak Diamond won Australia’s longest flat race at Warrnambool on Sunday, the 4,600 metre Jericho Cup.

Ridden by Campbell Rawiller for Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, the Roc De Cambes mare was too strong winning by seven lengths in the $300,000 feature.

“We were tempted to try and get her here last year, but I’m pleased we didn’t,” said Shaun Ritchie.

“She wasn’t quite strong enough, but she was strong enough today, wasn’t she? She was fantastic three starts back in the lead-up race, she’s no Bonecrusher, but she was wonderful today,” added Ritchie in reference to the hall of fame galloper Bonecrusher, trained by Shaun’s father Bill.