Races

Runner by Runner: The Quokka

Posted on | Posted by Scott Embry

1. Overpass (58.5kg)

Trainer: Bjorn Baker
Jockey: Joshua Parr
Barrier 10

Has amassed a whopping $10,379,100 in career prizemoney, of which $5,644,000 has been won in Perth. 2023 Quokka, 2023 Winterbottom Stakes, 2024 Quokka and 2024 Winterbottom Stakes – he’s been unbeatable in the West. Every run has been 1200m, every run has been WFA, every run has as emphatic as the previous and given his first-up run in the TJ Smith it’s hard to see how he won’t jump a warm favourite yet again. He’s been too fast, too classy and too tough for every local horse and in his most recent Winterbottom Stakes the only horse who looked anywhere near his level and a threat to his Crown was a fellow Eastern Stater in Maharba. He’s the one – again.

2. Front Page (58.5kg)

Trainer: Matthew Dale
Jockey: Tyler Schiller
Barrier: 11

Wonderful 8 year old sprinter who heads to WA for the first time in his life. He resumed in the Group One Galaxy at Rosehill and split Private Harry and Uncommon James, the same race in which he finished third in 2023. He won the 2022 Kosciuszko and the 2023 Kosciuszko with his Galaxy efforts being career highlights, placing him just behind the elite of NSW. He’s a dynamite fresh horse: 5 of his 7 career wins have been first-up so it might just be a blessing in disguise that he’ll attack the Quokka 5 weeks between runs. Tyler Shiller has had 7 rides on him for 3 wins so he’s the right man for the job and can tag across with Overpass.

3. Western Empire (58.5kg)

Trainer: Grant & Alana Williams
Jockey: Ben Melham
Barrier: 6

Has been a revelation since returning home to Grant & Alana Williams. Their champion 3 & 4 year old left Western Australia as the winner of a Lex Piper, JC Roberts, Melvista, WATC Derby, Asian Beau and Railway Stakes before losing his way in Victoria when having five starts over an 18 month period which produced very little but disappointment. Since he was purchased by Andrew Latessa and Team Williams he has turned back the clock and won a Northam Stakes, Belmont Sprint and a Gold Rush. The question will be: is he sharp enough as a 7 year old to sprint with them at WFA over 1200m? Or will they run him off his legs and get him uncomfortable from a long way out? Winkers on, 2x trials, a barrier and the best in the business at getting horses to peak for their target race.

4. Crocetti (58.5kg)

Trainer: Danny Walker & Arron Tata
Jockey: Craig Williams
Barrier: 7

New Zealand’s attack on the 2025 Quokka and a prolific winner. Won his first 7 races of his career – going from a 2 year old maiden through to a Group One New Zealand Guineas in the space of 9 months. He’s as versatile as they come: winning from 1100m to 1600m and from a Heavy9 to a Good3. Travels outside NZ for the first time in his career and is on an elongated preparation dating back to August 2024 in which time he has had six runs in what looks to be a deliberately planned campaign: first-up (off 175 days), second-up off 35 days, third-up off 77 days, fourth-up off 14 days, fifth-up off 49 days, sixth-up off 42 days and now seventh-up into the Quokka off 49 days. “Not coming for a holiday.”

5. Magnificent Andy (58.5kg)

Trainer: Stephen Miller
Jockey: Brad Parnham
Barrier: 1

Was produced first-up by SJ Miller on 20 April 2024 when winning the Joey on Quokka Day. Three starts later he added a Group 3 to his CV with a win in the Hyperion over 1600m at WFA at Belmont Park and then showed just how good he is with minor placings in the Eurythmic and Lee Steere before finishing fourth in the Railway and second to Western Empire in the Gold Rush. The gate is a huge help, but he’ll need a ~3L PB to finish Top 3 at a distance short of his best.

6. Headwall (58.5kg)

Trainer: Matthew Smith
Jockey: Zac Lloyd
Barrier: 8

Looks the danger to the Overpass juggernaut. They met in the TJ Smith behind Briasa and Headwall was the replay run of the race. Stewards Comments: “Badly held up for clear running from the 400m until near the 150m” – and the eye doesn’t lie, if he had clear galloping room when he needed it, there’s every chance he finishes right beside Overpass, if not beats him home. Sectionally he was every bit as good as Jimmysstar who has since come out and won the All Aged. The TJ form is the superior form and with the right run Headwall will be very hard to hold out late. Early forecast for Saturday is SSE winds, he would love that to swing SW. Ideal barrier draw for him to be smothered up midfield and allowed to burst through the pack late.

7. Triple Missile (58.5kg)

Trainer: Donna Riordan
Jockey: Joseph Azzopardi
Barrier 12

Feels like he’s been around forever, but is still only a 7-year-old, same as Western Empire. He was a capable Group 3/Group 2 commodity when raced in Victoria under Lindsey Smith with placings in the Rising Fast (G3 1200), Gilgai (G2 1200) and won a Gold Topaz at Swan Hill – just a cog below the best. Raced consistently since returning to the West and has raced well for Donna Riordan for the last 6 months including finishing fourth behind Western Empire, Magnificent Andy and Super Smink in the Gold Rush and then broke a run of outs that spanned 1002 days by winning the Bunbury Stakes. In review he was right place, right time and now back to 1200m and back to WFA makes things incredibly tough.

8. Rope Them In (58.5kg)

Trainer: Steve Wolfe
Jockey: Shaun McGruddy
Barrier: 5

Stamped himself as the New Kid on the block leading into the 2024 Winterbottom Stakes when he won the Colonel Reeves at SWP over 1100m beating Western Empire by three quarters of a length. That day when SJ Wolfe applied blinkers and he produced that booming finish the decision was locked: he’s a sprinter. More than held his own in the Winterbottom and Gold Rush at WFA when fourth and fifth respectively. Locked in by Tabtouch after a soft first-up win in the Bluff Knoll, but then left connections, trainer and jockey scratching their heads after a lacklustre seventh in the Roma Cup. Finished 6.6L off Jokers Grin and The Boss Lady – concerning.

9. Jokers Grin (58.5kg)

Trainer: Bernie Miller
Jockey: Patrick Carbery
Barrier: 13

Made his debut at Belmont Park in May 2024 meaning that in the space of less than 12 months he has progressed from maiden company through to a Quokka – incredible. He won 5 in a row from a maiden to a 3 year old 0MWLY to a 3 year old 62+ to a 66+ and a 72+ before suffering defeat at the hands of Generosity in November last year. Bernie Miller then plotted a pathway to this Grand Final and it included a Rock Magic Stakes where he was breathtaking in victory, bursting through a gap with 75m to go to somehow win by over 1L and clock a L600 of 33.01 and then looked the winner in the Roma Cup before he seemingly got a bit lost and wobbled around badly over the last 200m, to the point where The Boss Lady was able to successfully protest again him. He’s raw, he’s exciting and he could be WA’s best hope.

10. Brave Spirit (58.5kg)

Trainer: Steve Wolfe
Jockey: Jarrad Noske
Barrier: 3

Won the 2025 Raconteur Stakes as a 3 year old at Belmont Park over 1400m when beating both The Boss Lady and Generosity. Since that point he has some slashing races from rearward positions, but in far easier company and without winning (or really threatening). First-up he carried 1kg less than West Star and finished 2L behind him, so in the Quokka he will be meeting the 3 year old 3kg worse at the weights after being beaten by him. He’s a m75 rater so he could go to a 66+ and carry 58.5kg or a 72+ and carry 55.5kg. He’ll win another nice race some time in the future, but it won’t be the Quokka. Jumps 200-1.

11. The Boss Lady (56.5kg)

Trainer: Michael Lane
Jockey: Billy Egan
Barrier: 2

Just knows how to win. She’s now won 10 of 17 from 1000m to 1400m and in Handicap, Set Weights and Penalties and WFA company. In her last preparation she won a Mares Feature (Jungle Dawn), a 78+ ratings race and a Boxing Day Dash (81+ ratings race) where she beat Fast Flicker, Hell I Am and Sisu Warrior – hardly anything to get overly enthused about, however, in typical Michael Lane/The Boss Lady fashion she has again raised the bar with a massive career PB first-up in the Roma Cup when deadheating with Jokers Grin before taking the spoils in the Stewards’ room. Simply doesn’t know how to run a bad race?

12. Generosity (56.5kg)

Trainer: Simon A Miller
Jockey: Lucy Fiore
Barrier: 4

An often frustrating mare who has an undeniably sharp sprint on her, but often finds bad luck and traffic with such a negative racing pattern. At the end of last campaign she beat home Joker’s Grin in a 78+ 1200, however, that wasn’t exactly ‘on merit’ because Jokers Grin was three wide throughout without cover. After winning her first Black Type feature at Mares SWP in the Sheila Gwynne she was given a 28 day freshen heading into the Roma Cup where her third placed performance behind The Boss Lady and Jokers Grin saw her locked into the final slot in the 2025 Quokka. Needed a barrier and got one. Will still need everything to go her way at this level.

13. West Star (56.5kg)

Trainer: Simon A Miller
Jockey: Tim Clark
Barrier: 9

The sole 3 year old representative in the 2025 Kia Quokka. In the 2023 Winterbottom we saw Oscar’s Fortune and Ripcord finish closest to Overpass as 3 year olds at WFA, in the 2024 Quokka we again saw Oscar’s Fortune finish third behind Overpass, so there’s a case to be made for the younger, emerging sprinter. He’s a Belgravia Stakes winner who resumed in a 72+ against the older horses and put them away with ease and arrogance. He travels brilliantly, has a glorious galloping action and looks a star of the future. Will he be able to absorb the pressure of the Elite Level at only his seventh career outing?

SELECTION: OVERPASS

It’s hard to tip against Overpass – he’s been to WA four times and he’s won four times: 2x Winterbottom Stakes & 2x Quokkas. His first-up run the TJ Smith was outstanding, he will work his way forwards to lead or breeze and when Josh Parr pulls the trigger he explodes away from them. There’s no howling seabreeze forecast that he’ll have to punch into and no reason to suggest he’s vulnerable compared to previous trips to Perth. Headwall was outstanding in the TJ Smith and he looms as the biggest danger. Quokka Trophy looks destined to fly East for a third consecutive year.

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