Trainer Gai Waterhouse admitted that she was disappointed with the barrier trial performance of Golden Slipper winner Overreach at Royal Randwick yesterday.
Trainer Gai Waterhouse was disappointed with the barrier trial performance of Overreach at Randwick yesterday. Photo by: Steve Hart
Overreach was upset by stablemate Marseille Roulette and appeared to tire badly at the end of the trial over 1050 metres.
The Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on September 14 was expected to be the major 2013 Spring Racing Carnival goal for the daughter of Exceed And Excel but Waterhouse said after the trial that she may need to reassess the spring plans for the three-year-old.
“I was expecting more from her,” Waterhouse told Racenet.
“I’ll have to talk to Mr Altomonte and work out what we’ll do from here.
“She’s going through a growth phase.”
Jockey Tommy Berry confirmed that Overreach had tired in the final 150 metres of the heat but believed there were still positives to take out of her first barrier trial performance.
“She showed her natural speed out of the barriers and lead quite comfortably,” Berry told TVN after the trial.
“She just knocked up quite badly the last 150 metres.
“Obviously Marseille Roulette had the benefit of a trial under his belt while Overreach was quite soft going into the trial.”
Berry rode Overreach to victory in the Listed Widden Stakes (1100m), Group 2 Moet & Chandon Stakes (1200m) and the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) during the 2013 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival and doesn’t believe she has grown significantly since her juvenile campaign.
Despite the lack of growth, Berry is still confident that the star filly can be competitive and win another big race this preparation.
“I think she has the same ability as she had last prep and that’s all she has to have in a sprint race,” the rising jockey said.
“I think it’s the other horses that have to improve to beat her.
“She can improve a lot of that first trial and I think she will.”
History is against Overreach being successful in the Golden Rose as no horse has ever completed the Golden Slipper/ Golden Rose double.
