Ferivia owner Gary Brook will be cheering from Birdsville as promising filly takes next step towards Group 1 Thousand Guineas
Phillip Stokes -trained Ferivia, who races in the emerald green and white colours of the Brook family’s “Saddlers Knife� syndicate, won in slashing fashion when scoring the Group 3 Quezette Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday.
Gary Brook, the vice-president of the Birdsville Race Club, said the filly’s next race is set to be in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 6.
It’s the same day as the Birdsville Cup, the famed outback race that the Brook family has won seven times including twice in recent years with Neodium (2023 and 2024).
“To be honest, it was intended that Ferivia was going to go to the paddock after last Saturday’s run,� Brook said.
“But she has pulled up really well and the Thousand Guineas is certainly not out of the question.
“She will go next to the Atlantic Jewel at Moonee Valley on Birdsville Cup day.
“We won’t be going to that race in Melbourne, we have got important things to do in Birdsville.
“We will be at Birdsville cheering very loudly.�
Ferivia splits the middle and wins the Quezette! @LNeindorf grabs a Group 3 at Caulfield after making the move back to MelbourneðŸ'� @pstokesracing pic.twitter.com/TLu9zYNTKH
— 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) August 16, 2025
The Brook family has had plenty of good horses over the years and has also been the driving force behind the Birdsville Cup, with Gary’s dad David the president of the race club which is situated on the edge of the Simpson Desert.
Saddlers Knife is the family cattle brand and also the syndicate that races horses under Saddlers Knife Racing.
The Brook family has been involved with racehorses for three generations, with Gary’s grandfather Bill a Birdsville Cup winning jockey.
While the family is excited about Ferivia’s potential, they won’t have a runner in the Birdsville Cup this year.
T-23 days to the @birdsvilleraces - I’m excited. pic.twitter.com/AjPJsFcXJj
— Gary Brook (@GaryBrook18) August 13, 2025
•
Stokes-trained grand warrior and Birdsville Cup dominator Neodium has been retired.
“We thought it was probably time to retire him, he was eight when he was retired, albeit he was fairly lightly raced,� Brook said.
“We probably would have been keeping him going just for another Birdsville Cup, so we thought it best to give him a nice retirement.
“Ferivia looks to have really good talent and she is probably unlucky not to be undefeated.
“To win the way she did last Saturday and to weave through the field, when she was probably hard ridden at the 500(m), it was a terrific win.
“We think she will be better over further distance and be better when the ground is harder as well.�
Gary Brook now lives in South Australia with his family but is already making preparations for the two-day road trip to the famous Birdsville carnival early next month.
Question for the @punters. Which winning form do you prefer for the Birdsville Cup? Hettinger (12L Katherine Cup), Without Revenge (4L Nanango Cup), Testator Silens (2L Longreach Newmarket), Three Gongs (0.4L Gladstone Cup)? @birdsvilleraces @Racing @RaceQLD
— Gary Brook (@GaryBrook18) August 19, 2025
He said field sizes should be bigger and the races stronger than last year.
“I will get to Birdsville on the Sunday before, I will have to travel a bit further than normal with some of the road closures in South Australia and I will drive up there with my wife, our three kids and a dog,� Brook said.
“In terms of horse numbers, they are looking really strong and I would be stunned if we didn’t have double the runners of last year.
“Over 20 different stables have indicated they are coming.
“ Hettinger, who won the Katherine Cup by 12 lengths, is on its way down.
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