Beaten, but not bowed. Overpass has licked his wounds, but he’ll be back in Perth.
A return engagement for the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) in November has been penciled in.
After he negotiates the Doomben 10,000 (1200m) in Brisbane on Saturday, Perth’s premier sprint race is very much back on the radar.
Overpass is back in the swing of racing again after his pride was pricked in last month’s Quokka (1200m) at Ascot when a beaten favourite.
Overpass ran fifth to boom Perth horse and rising star, Jokers Grin, suffering a new phenomenon, his first ever defeat in WA.
After collecting prized wins in the Quokka and Winterbottom Stakes twice previously, Overpasses impregnable Perth record came to an end,
Scott Darby from Darby Racing admitted tasting defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, but plans are already underway for atonement in six months.
He believes Overpass racing second up in the Quokka after the T.J.Smith Stakes (1200m) three weeks earlier in Sydney, took its toll.
They tested a poor second up record, but came up short, failing to dent his record of one win from eight attempts.
“We were naturally very disappointed,” Darby said on Tabradio.
“We thought we could bypass his second up stat.
“That’s not going to happen in the future.
“He’s either going to have to be well and truly spaced between his first and second run, not that it was a bad run, but certainly below par.
“I think he puts in so much first up, he really puts in but probably leaves him a little bit flat second up.
“He sort of fires up again third up and that’s what his stats says, so we kinda of have to work around that now.
“We kinda of knew that going in, thinking the three weeks was going to be ok.
“We are dead set sure he needs a bigger space between runs, or you just have to target your main races first and third up.”
Darby is resigned to Overpass racing on a rain affected track in the Doomben 10,000.
With a poor record on heavy going, he’s hopeful rather than confident the son of Vancouver can go out as a winner.
“Pretty low at the moment,” Darby said about his confidence levels.
“If you look at his record on a heavy track it’s duck eggs.
“Unfortunately, there’s no other race to go to.
“He’s not dead-set hopeless, but much, much better on top of the ground.
“Absolutely last start of the campaign before the paddock.
“He’ll get ready for either a Sydney Stakes or Everest and then onto the Winterbottom again.”
While Sunshine In Paris is a $4.60 favourite in the Doomben 10,000, Overpass is on the second line of betting at $5.50.
From barrier 10, he will be ridden by Joshua Parr.
Julio Santarelli