Quokka cowboys take slot in The Everest
Western Australians team up with ATC, Baker and Overpass for shot at $20 million contest
A group of hard-partying Western Australian cowboys and their big, black hats are coming to Royal Randwick.
The parochial RAM Racing syndicate last April conquered Perth’s inaugural slot race, the $4 million Quokka (1200m), with Sydney sprinter Overpass (Vancouver) and now the group of 37 mates plan on landing an even bigger prize, the lion’s share of $20 million in about three weeks’ time.
Yesterday, the Australian Turf Club and RAM Racing announced they’d reached a 50-50 deal for the entities to take ownership of the $700,000 slot in this year’s Everest.
The Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass, who denied Western Australia’s own superstar Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) Quokka glory about five months ago, will contest his second Everest after owner Darby Racing agreed to once again join forces with RAM Racing alongside the ATC.
Overpass finished runner-up in the Doomben 10,000 (Gr 1, 1200m) during his brief cross-country autumn campaign before resuming in The Shorts (Gr 2, 1100m) last Saturday at Randwick, finishing second, a head adrift of fellow Everest contender Private Eye (Al Maher).
The son of Vancouver (Medaglia D’Oro) finished sixth in last year’s Everest which was won by Giga Kick (Scissor Kick).
RAM Racing’s Adam Fletcher, who heads a committee to manage the syndicate of 37 passionate West Aussie racing fans, admits taking their slot involvement to The Everest was only a pipedream a few months ago.
“We’ve been fortunate and feel very privileged that the ATC is willing to partner with us and go halves in their slot, so we’re off to The Everest and we have been able to secure Overpass, which is great for our syndicate,” Fletcher told ANZ Bloodstock News yesterday.
“We’ve already had some success with the horse and Bjorn and his team and Scott (Darby) and his team and the owners are super excited to pack the cowboy outfits and head over to Royal Randwick for the TAB Everest.”
RAM Racing members pooled their financial resources – $314,000 in total – to compete in the Western Trilogy slot races in April, the $4 million The Quokka, the $1 million Nullarbor for the standardbreds and the $500,000 Sandgroper greyhound race.
They have now committed $350,000, half the cost of an Everest slot in 2023, to take their loud and proud group to the eastern seaboard.
“We operate very much like a company, so we have got a board that controls and runs the syndicate,” Fletcher said.
“We always had a thought that it might be a pipedream for us, but we weren’t really thinking it would be this year, but about three months ago we were approached to start a conversation with the ATC and Scott Darby.
“As you can imagine, there’s a lot of water to go under the bridge with something like this and we were always hopeful, but it was never locked in until a couple of days ago when we got the final go-ahead from Racing NSW.”
Scott Darby was delighted that Overpass, who is likely to tackle The Everest second-up, had secured another berth in the lucrative race.
“It’s an honour to represent the ATC in Australia’s premier sprint race and to hear that RAM Racing has partnered with the ATC this year in their slot, it feels like the band is back together in search of another huge triumph,” Darby said.
ATC chairman Peter McGauran said: “This partnership brings a wider national perspective and audience to the TAB Everest and RAM Racing’s enthusiasm for being a part of the race is significant.
“We are also delighted to join with Overpass, our own Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker and Darby Racing who have been long and loyal supporters of Sydney racing.”
Fletcher expects Western Australians, just as they have with Amelia’s Jewel in her maiden eastern states campaign, to get behind the RAM Racing team and their adopted horse Overpass.
“It’s a privilege to be able to take part in that race and when it boils down to it, we’re like, ‘guys, we might not get the opportunity to ever take part in a race like this for the rest of our lives’,” he said.
“What better time to do it than now while we’ve had that success a few months ago.”