Overreach has not been seen at the races since April last year, but Tommy Berry believes that the rising four-year-old is capable of challenge Lankan Rupee during the 2014 Spring Racing Carnival.
Tommy Berry steered Overreach to victory in the 2013 Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens. Photo by: Steve Hart
Overreach defeated a strong field to win the 2013 edition of the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) in impressive fashion, but the Exceed And Excel was ruled out of both the 2013 Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival by trainer Gai Waterhouse.
The talented filly has returned to trackwork ahead of a spring campaign that will be centered around sprinting events like the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on October 25 and the Group 1 VRC Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington on November 8 and has clearly impressed Berry since returning from the spelling paddock.
“There is one horse that I am looking forward to coming back and that is Overreach,” Berry told Sky Racing HQ.
“She is a top class sprinter I think and she has had 18 months off since her last start now.
“Looking at photos of her, she has definitely put on a bit of weight and a bit of muscle, so she is a lot stronger now.
“We need a horse that can challenge Lankan Rupee and I think that she might be the one.”
Overreach made her racing debut with a second place finish behind Villa Verde in the Listed Debutant Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield on October 17 during the 2012 Spring Racing Carnival and was sent to the spelling paddock to begin preparations for the 2013 Golden Slipper.
She started her 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival with a dominant six lengths victory in the Listed Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on February 16 and stamped herself as the clear favourite for the Golden Slipper with another comfortable win in the Group 2 Moet & Chandon Stakes (1200m).
Overreach was very well-backed in the lead-up to the Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on April 6 and she gave Berry one of the biggest wins of racing career by claiming an impressive victory from Sidestep and Sweet Idea in the Group 1 event.
The filly had her winning streak ended when she finished third behind Guelph and Scandiva in the Group 1 Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 13 and has not been seen at the races since.
Overreach has been restricted to five race starts, but has accumulate almost $2.5 million in prizemoney for connections
