Ascot conqueror Overpass has 2025 pathway set out… and it includes a crack at a third Quokka

Perth conqueror Overpass will be targeted at a number of key sprint races in 2025.

Now a two-winner of the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) as well as twice The Quokka champion, Bjorn Baker’s Overpass will head to the paddock for a spell after Saturday’s latest Ascot triumph.

Luke Hilton, Baker’s racing manager, says the six-year-old gelding will have a third crack at The Quokka on his agenda plus a revenge trip to Brisbane for the Doomben 10,000 before a potential shot at The Everest in Sydney.

“We sat down and spoke about his plans for next year, it’s pretty easy,” Hilton said on SENTrack’s Giddy Up.

“He’ll go back to The Quokka and probably have a look at a race like the Doomben 10,000, then we’ll aim up at The Everest.

“His whole year is kind of planned out.”

Overpass is now four from four in Western Australia and will look to make it three Quokkas in a row in April.

He ran second to Giga Kick in the Doomben 10,000 last year and has twice run in The Everest, finishing sixth in 2022 and 10th in 2023.

Overall it was a huge weekend for the Baker stable who also prepared Arapaho, ridden by Rachel King, to win the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) in the wet at Caulfield.

The Group 1 Tancred winner of 2023, like Overpass, will also head to the spelling yard for now.

Hilton insists there won’t be much downtime for the stable who will soon enough be focusing on the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast in January.

“It was a fantastic weekend,” Hilton added.

“It was great to see Arapaho back. t’s been a long road back for him, just amazing to see him get back. A great ownership group and he was super.

“And then to sit down after all that and watch Overpass do it again after he was question-marked after Melbourne. He stood up and he loves it over there.

“You need to be aiming up at all the carnivals. It was really fitting to finish the end of the year on a really good note.

“Then we’ll kick off into Magic Millions and start going again. There’s not a lot of downtime.

“We’ve had a really good 12 months and it was really good just to finish strong with those two stalwarts who have been number ones for a long time in our stable.”

As for something a bit sooner, Hilton is excited to see three-year-old filly Unleeshing unleashed at Rosehill this Saturday.

“We’ve got a horse in on Saturday called Unleeshing,” said Hilton of the Dundeel filly.

“She was a touch unlucky first-up (at Rosehill when second to Aye Aye Captain). She’ll go to a three-year-old race on Saturday.

“I think she’s a very promising filly and should run well on Saturday, and I think she’s going to be a horse that features in the autumn.”

Unleeshing has been nominated for the 3YO Benchmark 72 at Rosehill this Saturday.