The inaugural running of the $4 million ‘The Quokka’ certainly didn’t disappoint, with Overpass ($12) just able to lead throughout in the 1200m feature at Ascot, scoring by 0.04 lengths.
All the hype pre-race was about star three-year-old filly Amelia’s Jewel who was sent around as the $2.80 Favourite despite jumping from the widest barrier after an error in the initial barrier draw saw her jump from gate 14.
That hype is unlikely to subside any time soon with the Group 1 winning filly settling last in the run, coming with a withering burst to lunge at Overpass, who represented the RAM Racing syndication.
The richest race both trainer and jockey have ever won, Bjorn Baker was thrilled for the opportunity to contest the race and gave respect to Simon Miller’s filly post-race.
“Absolutely super. He’s a great horse fresh… I thought he looked spot on today and we scratched out of the T J Smith with the wet track and the RAM Racing Syndicate stuck strong and wanted to stick with him… it’s going to be a big night,” Baker said.
Watching live, it was nearly impossible to tell who had won the race, with race-caller Darren McAullay calling for the photo and Baker similarly wasn’t sure if he’d won.
“I thought she’d got us actually, without knowing the track you can’t get carried away and he kept kicking… he was able to fend them off,”
“I feel for Simon A Miller, how good is she (Amelia’s Jewel), the fillies’ outstanding and he’s been so accommodating to us so you always have mixed emotions,” Baker said.
Josh Parr, who’s initiative to cross and lead the field from barrier eight ultimately made the difference, also thought he’d been denied on the line with Amelia’s Jewel at least a length in front shortly after the post.
“I got to the pull-up and I honestly thought I’d lost the race, I was pulling up saying some unsavoury things… the crowd yelled and I thought ‘that’s a home-town crowd yell for sure,” Parr said.
“It’s obviously such great prize money on offer and I had a horse prepared for me immaculately… I was really confident throughout, he found a certain rhythm that he finds when he’s on song,” Parr said.
Aside from Amelia’s Jewel, eastern state trained horses filled the first four with Bella Nipotina ($4.60) running home well into third from Asfoora ($13).