A slim margin divided the pair on the weekend and very little separates them in Karrakatta Plate (1200m) betting, they are one-two in Tabtouch markets and go in as leading fancies.
Talkanco held on to beat Yes Queen in a gripping finale to the Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) on Saturday, with a half-head the difference between winning and losing the Group 3 contest.
Talkanco settled eighth and was in the second half of the field for Brad Parnham while William Pike sent Yes Queen back to last from a wide gate and trailed the 13-horse field.
Both gallopers finished powerfully with Yes Queen closing fast on Talkanco in the straight, but they went to the line locked together with a big gap to third placegetter, Loves Talking.
Although she lost narrowly, Yes Queen, trained by Dion Luciani, retains Karrakatta Plate favouritism at $3.40 while Talkanco, from the Dan and Ben Pearce team, is $5.
Yes Queen was storming home late and ran the last 600m in race fastest 33.72sec., but Dan Pearce says his I’m All The Talk filly was holding her own reaching the finishing post.
“She hit the front well and everything went to plan with Yes Queen rallying late, but I think our girl went with it,” Dan Pearce said on Tabradio.
“That last 50m and through the line she rallied again with her, so really happy and looking forward to two weeks’ time.
“From the gate we were thinking we want to ride her mid to second half and have a run building to a Karrakatta Plate being her grand final.
“I thought she ran true.
“We weren’t going to be gassing her rolling forward and finding a spot, we were happy with how she went to the races.
“She’s where she needs to be fitness wise and everything and we’ll try and keep her in one piece for two weeks.
“She’s got a big engine, and I think she’ll be more than competitive and right for the grand final.”
Talkanco reversed her last start third to Luana Miss and Yes Queen in the Supremacy Stakes.
She goes into the Karrakatta Plate with two wins and two placings from her four starts, with prizemoney advancing to $233,640.
The Pearce brothers are no strangers to Karrakatta Plate success after preparing Dig Deep to win in 2019.
The Karrakatta Plate is Perth's leading race for two-year-olds.
At Group 2 and $500,000 in prizemoney, it's the undercard to the $5 million Kia-Quokka (1200m) at Ascot on April 26.
Julio Santarelli