Royal Ascot placegetters Joliestar and Overpass have completed their quarantine period and are back in Australia, placing both elite sprinters firmly in the mix for another shot at the The Everest during the Sydney spring carnival.
The pair enhanced their international reputations in England last month, with Joliestar finishing a narrow third in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, while Overpass also claimed third in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes.
Overpass backed up later in the week in the Jubilee Stakes but failed to reproduce his best form and finished unplaced.
Trainer Bjorn Baker said Overpass had thrived throughout quarantine and returned to his Warwick Farm stable on Monday.
“Overpass is coming straight here, I’m looking forward to getting him back into work,” Baker told Racing And Sports.
“He’s ‘full of beans’ and looks really well. He has some residual fitness from England and we will get him ready for the spring.”
Baker confirmed the accomplished sprinter will resume at Randwick on October 17 in either The Everest or the $2 million Group 2 Sydney Stakes over 1200 metres.
“Overpass is a chance to go to The Everest again if [owners] Darby Racing want to run and are happy with a deal,” Baker said. “But there is also the Sydney Stakes, so Overpass will be racing in one or the other at Randwick that day.”
Overpass has contested the world’s richest turf sprint on three occasions, finishing sixth behind Giga Kick in 2022, 10th behind Think About It in 2023 and a close fourth to Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising last year.
When overlooked for an Everest slot in 2024, Overpass instead captured the Sydney Stakes in a faster time than Bella Nipotina recorded when winning The Everest later that afternoon.
Joliestar has also become a regular in the race, finishing seventh behind Bella Nipotina in 2024 before improving to fifth behind Ka Ying Rising last year.
Trainer Chris Waller has already outlined a pathway that could see the mare earn a third straight Everest appearance.
“But I would be pushing to go to The Shorts first-up and then a month between runs into The Everest,” he said. “She runs so well fresh.”
