Josh Parr had not ridden a winner at Flemington before Saturday, and now he has two.
After combining with trainer Bjorn Baker and Darby Racing to capture the $750,000 Inglis Sprint with the Vancouver colt Overpass, Choisir’s son Malkovich ensured a happy return to Sydney for connections when he clung to a desperate nose advantage in the Listed Ata/Bob Hoysted.
There is nothing quite like waving goodbye to a stallion to ensure he ramps things up a notch. The dominant performance of Overpass in the valuable Inglis Sprint will be welcome news for Woodside Park, the new home of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.
There are few more honest horses than Overpass, who had a decision over Forbidden Love in the Group II Expressway Stakes in January before a last start second behind top-class Lost An Running in the Group III Southern Cross Stakes at Randwick
Fellow New South Welshman Spellcatcher (Extreme Choice) was three-quarters of a length astern of Overpass, with a further two and three-quarter lengths back to The Art Of Flying (Flying Artie in third.
A $75,000 Inglis Easter Round 2 purchase for Darby Racing / Will Johnson Bloodstock from the Corumbene Stud draft, Overpass advances his record to five wins and two seconds from 12 starts with earnings of $788,900.
“When he sees clear air his ears will often prick and have a good look around. He did that on the way to the start, and I was aware that he was going to be like that,” Parr said.
“It was a matter of keeping his rhythm nice and neat. We got him into a really good stride.
“He has a remarkable turn-of-foot as we’ve seen in Sydney and he showed that here today. He’s a horse well and truly on the rise.
“He’ll only carry 50.5 kilos (in the Newmarket Hcp), I think, so he’s won down here now, and with that sort of weight on his back I’d certainly encourage the stable to head that way.
“I can’t ride him, of course. Only half of me would make that weight but I’m really thrilled to get a winner here today and happy to make my family proud watching at home.”
Scott Darby said they have some thinking to do for the immediate future.
“The initial plan was to back him up next week into the Newmarket but we’re still weighing things up and have some decisions to make,’’ Darby said.
“We could go to the Newmarket with 50kg, wait for the Arrowfield Sprint (on Day 1 of The Championships) or even a race like the TJ Smith; there’s options there for us but he’s a really good horse this.
“The $750,000 was a huge lure for us to race in this race today. He’s a colt, he won a Group 2 first up so we need a G1 but that sort of money, back to his own age and restricted to Inglis graduates, it was just too much to give up.
“It’s great prizemoney, it’s been a great ride for the owners, they’re having the time of their life and now the plan is to make him a stallion.’’
Overpass was bred by Corumbene and is the best of four winners from winning Exceed and Excel mare Walkway who comes from the family of Australian Horse of the Year Northerly.
Walkway has a weanling colt by Capitalist and was covered by Shalaa (IRE) last spring.
