22-04-2025
Simon Miller ‘real chance' of toppling Quokka adversary Overpass with three-year-old West Star
Simon Miller quips he is so sick of the sight of Overpass he might put a rowdy horse in an adjacent stable box to keep the two-time The Quokka champion awake at night.
Overpass, Bjorn Baker 's sprint star and king of the west, stays at Miller's stables when in Perth.
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It has been a glittering formula for success for Baker who has claimed the first two editions of the Quokka with Overpass and is favoured to win a hat-trick of the rich slot race on Saturday.
Meanwhile, champion Perth trainer Miller has twice finished second in The Quokka with Amelia's Jewel in 2023 and 2024.
Miller thinks he has a good chance of turning the tables in Saturday's $5m race, deploying two horses including 'X-factor' three-year-old West Star who has a big boom on him.
West Star has won four from six and was set to be deployed in Group 1 races during the Perth summer carnival, until Miller discovered the star youngster had an entrapped epiglottis after his win in the Listed Belgravia Stakes last October.
West Star missed the summer but returned with a vengeance with a dominant win at Ascot earlier this month.
Barrier draw done for the $5 million Quokka! Who wins?
— TABtouch (@TAB_touch) April 22, 2025
With elite Sydney jockey Tim Clark booked to ride, Miller feels like West Star can give The Quokka a serious shake although conceding Overpass remains the horse they all have to beat.
'I should try to put my most unruly horse next to Overpass to try to keep him awake at night,' Miller joked.
'I do think that West Star is the X-factor horse of The Quokka. He's a machine.
'I was shattered when he had an entrapped epiglottis and I had to miss the whole summer carnival with him.
'I thought he was going to end up in a (Group 1) Winterbottom Stakes or even a (Group 1) Northerly Stakes.
'Looking forward to later in the year, I would say he is a perfect horse for the Golden Eagle in Sydney.
'This Saturday, Overpass is there again and maybe you could say it's his race to lose.
'But I am getting sick of running second to him and I do think I'm a real chance.'
West Star drew gate nine at Tuesday's barrier draw.
Overpass, aiming for his third Quokka, drew barrier 10 and fellow NSW visitors Front Page (11) and Headwall (8) also drew wide.
🌟 of the West …
With 3 wins from 5 starts, West Star holds off the challenge of a fast finishing September Born to capture first stakes victory in the Listed McMahon Belgravia Stakes over 1200m at Ascot.
By Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Playing God (as is September Born), West…
— Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) October 26, 2024
• Broadsiding retired, stud fee announced for 2025
Miller said he is delighted to have the services of Clark on West Star.
The two have remained firm friends and have talked regularly ever since Miller was an assistant trainer to John O'Shea and Clark was apprenticed to O'Shea.
As for the strength of The Quokka this year, Miller feels it is maybe not quite as strong as the previous two editions.
But he said it is hard to know in advance as a horse like Headwall, who finished third behind Briasa in the Group 1 TJ Smith, could be one out of the box.
'Historically you could say that The Quokka has been bigger and better than it is this year,' Miller said.
'But who is to say a horse like Headwall doesn't go right on with it after racing in The Quokka?'
Miller also has four-year-old mare Generosity in The Quokka and said she will be a big improver after finishing third in the Roma Cup when a month between runs.
'She will beat at least half the field home in The Quokka,' Miller declared.
