The Peter Robl trained Overfull earned his way back into the winners’ enclosure when he held off the challenge of Charming Nic to land the $200 000 Bernie Spilsbury Three-Year-Old Handicap over 1000m, a race named in honour of the long-time Sunshine Coast Turf Club doctor who is now retiring from duty.
It’s been a while … going back all the way to mid-May 2024 …since Overfull last struck winning form. That success came in the $200 000 Inglis Two-Year-Old Challenge over 1100m at Scone, which was the first run the daughter of Overshare has after relocating to the Robl stable.
Fair to say the filly has been a work in progress since then, with her seven runs in-between these wins yielding two second placings, one third place finish and two fourth places. On three of those occasions Overfull finished no more than 1.50 lengths behind the winner.
So, the win was coming. The question was when and now we know the answer.
Overfull ($5.50) laid down the law to his opposition from the start with Damien Thornton making no secret of his intention to race right on the speed, so as to be in prime position to strike when the right moment presented itself.
Thornton was happy to sit in second spot but Overfull was travelling a touch better than the early leader Cosmic Fire ($5) coming to the home turn so Thornton duly eased Overfull into a narrow lead … and a narrow lead it stayed.
It would turn out to be a long straight for Thornton and Overfull as, with a lead that never extending to more than a length, Overfull was hounded all the way to the line, briefly by Cosmic Fire who tried to kick on before falling away, then by Belagato (the $4.80 favourite) and, over the last 50m, by Flying Nic ($26), who made up ground quickly on the inside, and Benzou ($9), who was surging down the centre of the track.
At the line they had swarmed all over and all around Overfull, but not one of them could reel in the Robl trained runner who, at last, had that elusive victory in the bank.
