Western Australia's showcase for the finest juveniles in the state, the G2 Karrakatta Plate, is a great race in its own right and this $500k race makes for an excellent curtain raiser to the main event on Quokka Day at Ascot.
First run in the final year of the 19th century, the Karrakatta has stood the test of time with many of its graduates going on to future stardom on the track and at stud.
For a period of time it was a Group 1 race, but reverted to its original Group 2 status in 1999.
WA's turf immortal Eurythmic saluted the judge in 1918, as did future Cox Plate winner Easingwold in 1920.
La Trice, Burgess Queen, Top Post, Hold That Smile, Umatilla, Jacks Or Better and Bomber Bill are a few of the familiar and well remembered names to have won the Karrakatta, and most recently the superstar filly Amelia's Jewel added her name to that list.
In 1984 Rory's Jester was upstaged by Vain Marceau but went on to win the Golden Slipper before becoming a bona fide legend in the breeding barn and one of the greatest colonial sires of all time.
As with all two year old feature races timing is everything - the baby horses are still immature, learning their craft. The last favourite to win the Karrakatta was Lucky Street in 2015, and he did it in a four and a half length romp having taken the Magic Millions and Perth Stakes along the way.
Rarely is the picture so straightforward.
This year two flying fillies held sway at the top of the market with Dion Luciani's Yes Queen (Yes Yes Yes) partnered by William Pike and the Pearce stable's Talkanco ( I'm All The Talk) with Brad Parnham in the saddle set to match motors for the third time this season.
Fittingly, the arch rivals had drawn well and would jump from adjacent gates, as there has been little to separate them in three stirring finishes and most punters were expecting a repeat scenario.
Back in November, Yes Queen made her debut in spectacular fashion running away from Talkanco in the Crystal Slipper Stakes 1100m. The next time they met, both fillies had to settle for minor placings when Luana Miss (absent from the Karrakatta field) was somewhat of a surprise winner of the Supremacy Stakes 1100m.
Last start, coming to the business end of preparations, both fillies unleashed powerful finishes - but Talkanco was determined and classy to narrowly hold out Yes Queen in the traditional Karrakatta fillies leadup, the G3 Gimcrack Stakes 1100m.
With both fillies giving the impression that 1200m would be to their advantage, would they make their runs together again?
Dan and Ben Pearce also put the polish on promising Pierata filly Perfectly Proper and were emphatic that she wasn't there to make up the numbers. Despite drawing barrier 16 for this stern test and yet to break maiden status she arguably should have won the Perth Magic Millions Classic over the 1200m, going down there to her rival today, Do I Feel Lucky.
Then followed a minor setback that meant she was going in to this assignment fresh - but as her trainers pointed out, that's how she went into the Magic Millions.
Though overshadowed by her stablemate Talkanco, with a little bit of that long overdue luck Perfectly Proper had the ability to make her presence felt.
Attracting some good market support was Snitzalatte (Snitzel) who remained undefeated from two starts. Her grand dam won the WA Sires Produce at two.
This was a huge leap into Group company but the promising filly had the services of in-form hoop Lucy Fiore and leading trainer Adam Durrant. She would jump from the middle of the field.
What of the boys? Castle Road (Safeguard) had exploded back into contention with an all the way demolition job over his rivals in the males leadup, the Perth Stakes 1100m - returning to the form that had stamped him as a Karrakatta horse on debut.
Paul Jordan's high strung two year old is loaded with raw ability but is far from a finished product and can do a few things wrong.
He couldn't afford to do much wrong here but from an ideal barrier 4 the precociously gifted gelding would have every chance to roll along as he loved to do and would surely ensure a cracking pace.
Veteran jockey Craig Staples was talked out of retirement by his great mate Jordan specifically to ride the youngster he had recognised from the first as a special talent. Staples has patiently worked on forming a bond with the impeccably bred Castle Road, who has extraordinary gate speed but can be difficult to settle - he would need all his tact and skill to steer his charge to a Karrakatta victory.
It would be Staple's first win in the great race since success aboard the mighty sprinter Bomber Bill 27 years ago. Could Castle Road keep his cool on grand final day?
Sean and Jake Casey's aforementioned 2YO Magic Millions winner Do I Feel Lucky (Dirty Work) had run second to a rampaging Castle Road on debut back in December. The horse had excuses for a poor showing in the Perth Stakes when he clipped heels and lost all momentum.Tyler Schiller had the ride from gate 9 and Do I Feel Lucky had some support at longer odds.
The racing gods had favoured Luke Fernie's Justify colt Just Too Fly with the Karrakatta's “lucky barrier” 2. Still a maiden from two starts, he had flown home to grab second in the Perth Stakes and the 1200m was obviously ideal. There was a sense of timing about this son of a Triple Crown winner and a regally bred More Than Ready mare, ridden today by Zac Lloyd.
$26 looked over the odds.
Yes Queen at $2.30 at the jump held clear favouritism over Talkanco while the money had kept coming for Snitzalatte.
The big field burst out of the barriers and it was Castle Road as expected, burning the turf to take the lead. He had company though with Brazen Butcher fired up beside him and they were setting a breathless pace in company with Do I Feel Lucky.
God’s Rapture was up there matching motors with Kings Court while Pike had Yes Queen perfectly positioned just off the speed. Lucy Fiore and Snitzalatte found themselves covering ground as Perfectly Proper from the wide gate had little choice but to push forward and try to find a spot.
Meanwhile Zac Lloyd had Just Too Fly in a good rhythm on the rails and Parnham had masterfully kept Talkanco well out of the speed battle while staying in touch with the leaders - even so, it appeared he was having to push her along a little as the field thundered past the 500m.
Castle Road led them for home but the afterburners were starting to flame out as Brazen Butcher fell away and Do I Feel Lucky momentarily went past both of them. Yes Queen made her move and Snitzalatte was somehow still there and challenging despite a tough run with Fiore riding her for dear life. And now Talkanco switched into top gear, coming with a rush as they fanned across the track and Just Too Fly started to zoom along the rail.
The leaders all fell right away as Talkanco pulled out all her class and grit to hold out Just Too Fly by under a length and take the Karrakatta in a great finish!
Snitzalatte had run an unbelievable race and held down third from Yes Queen, who just hadn't been able to quite go with them in the shadows of the post.
Runner up Just Too Fly made the most of the barrier 2 advantage and was impressive in defeat. The entire son of Justify can only improve with time and looks to have a very bright future ahead on the track - possibly beyond that with his impressive US pedigree.
But all honours were with Parnham and Talkanco, whose career stats are now three wins - two of them Group races - and two placings from five starts, her Karrakatta victory advancing her career earnings to $507,640.
Again we are reminded of the sad loss to the WA breeding scene of her sire I'm All The Talk - the son of Golden Slipper winner Stratum died in 2022 after making a brilliant beginning to his stud career which saw him crowned Champion WA First and Second season sire.
Each of his stakes winners to date have been fillies and it will be no surprise if he is back in the headlines as broodmare sire of a future Karrakatta winner.
Talkanco is one of a handful of elite fillies to complete the Gimcrack / Karrakatta double, the last being the future champion Amelia's Jewel in 2022.
Co -Trainer Dan Pearce was well pleased with his charge.
“We just had to get her here in one piece, she has come on and is a much more polished product now. Her confidence is up and we've got a bit to work with” he said, suggesting that pressing on to the Sires Produce was certainly an option still on the table for the filly.”
Jockey Brad Parnham shed some light on the way the race had panned out for the winner.
‘It's obviously a big thrill and I'm super proud of her. I wanted to hold a closer spot this time, didn't want her too far back and I did have to niggle a little bit, I was never even really travelling through the race - but when she saw a gap she picked up and went through it.”
Talkanco is the type of filly every breeder dreams of and aspires to produce.
She was bred by prominent industry identity Ian Riley and races for her breeder under his Woodbridge Thoroughbreds banner for a group of co-owners which includes Pearce Racing.
She is the third foal and first daughter to race of the very speedy California Dane mare Calianco, from a precocious and well-known Australian family.
All three of Calianco's progeny to date are winners and she has more in the pipeline having produced a colt by Marine One last spring before going to Rich Enuff.
It's interesting that California Dane's G1 winning son Rebel Dane is the sire of a stakes winner on a cross with Quiet American,who is second damsire of I'm All The Talk.
Talkanco's third dam stakes winning juvenile Balcanny is by the incredible Canny Lad, a stallion beginning to appear more and more often as a linebreeding subject in successful pedigrees - as he does here. This successful pattern is largely due to his presence on the damline of Redoute's Choice.
Talkanco can count among her close relations multiple Group winning sprinter Blur and the classy colt Shrewd Rhythm who won a Blue Diamond Prelude and Vain Stakes and stood briefly at stud in WA before being shipped out of Australia.
That proved to be a massive loss to local breeders when his daughter Sky Rumba foaled the freakish sprinter and G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Portland Sky, from a WA bred mare, whose keenly anticipated first foals will race next season.
Shrewd Rhythm's full sister Dancescape was also a stakes winning juvenile and she is the dam of Hong Kong sprinter Flying Ace who has been a serious competitor at the top level in that tough jurisdiction.
This family traces direct tail female to arguably the most revered mare in the entire studbook, Selene. This branch of her female line comes through the mare New Moon most often present in Australasian pedigrees through her descendant Star Way, the damsire of Encosta de Lago.
Another line from New Moon produced the brilliant juvenile son of Hussonet, Husson Lightning, another sold to overseas breeding interests after standing for a number of seasons in WA with limited success.
It's another proven pattern for precocious speed duplicated in Talkanco's pedigree.
Importantly it's a pedigree that speaks to the need for real constitutional toughness as well as the brilliance that a top tier two year old needs.
The Karrakatta Plate is WA's ultimate test of those qualities and Talkanco has proved that she has them in spades.
