Inglis Easter Bargain Wins $4million Quokka

Media Release - Sunday April 16

Corumbene Stud bred and sold sprinter Overpass (Vancouver) clung on desperately to seal a place in the history books at Ascot 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.

Overpass was a $75,000 Inglis Easter purchase in 2020 when the sale was impacted by Covid.

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.

Advertisement

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.

Jennilala was a $70,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Arrowfield draft.

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.

Russian Dancer was a $175,000 Inglis Premier purchase.

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.

Inglis Release

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
Churchill Colt Pulls Off Stunning Pinhooking Result at NZB Ready To Run
Chad Ormsby has enjoyed plenty of racetrack success this year with pinhooks that he has been unable to sell at the Ready to Run Sale, but the multi-talented horseman had a very different outcome with the standout member of his 2024 Riverrock Farm draft at Karaka on Thursday.
$2,000 Gavelhouse Bargain Keeps on Winning!
The Grey Goose continued to belie her purchase price last start when recording her fifth win at Wingatui, bringing her career earnings to more than $225,000.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
Blockbuster Sale as NZB Ready to Run Records Tumble
Expectations were exceeded at Karaka with tremendous results witnessed across two days of selling at NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale, confirming the demand for proven racetrack results and quality New Zealand-prepared horses.
Million-dollar Hour for Leung at NZB Ready To Run
Hong Kong bloodstock agent Willie Leung had a big hour at Karaka early on Thursday afternoon, spending more than $1 million to secure two well-credentialled colts at the NZB Ready to Run Sale.
Extraordinary Results on Record Day One at NZB Ready to Run
Day One of NZB’S 2024 Ready to Run Sale witnessed incredible results across the board, including an Australasian record for a two-year-old at auction.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.
Cambridge Stud News
It’s been the spring that keeps giving for Cambridge Stud and it’s not over yet.
€1million Sea the Stars Colt Tops Goffs Foal Sale Day 3
Godolphin swung into sales action overnight at the Goffs November Foal Sale purchasing a colt by Sea the Stars for €1million to top the third session of the sale.