Last time warrior racehorse Kementari visited Western Australia he was photographed on the airport tarmac sticking out his tongue to local rivals.
He had grounds for cheeky confidence going into The Gold Rush in December, having won the forerunner to the race in 2020.
However, Kementari ran seventh, which may account for his more wary look on arrival by charter flight to Perth this week ahead of The Quokka at Ascot.
Perth Racing CEO James Oldring is hoping a similar scenario plays out for WA’s first slot race series, with east coast raiders increasing the buzz of anticipation but leaving local defenders holding the $4 million prize money.
“We know from The Pinnacles how much interest we get in the east coast runners and it’s a different level of atmosphere they bring to Ascot,” James said.
“West Australians would love them to run well so they want to come back but we don’t want them to take the chocolates.”
Perth Racing, acting as both the host and a slotholder in The Quokka, has signed up local sprinter Hot Zed as their starter, teamed with another local, Chris Parnham.
“We decided to support a WA horse and the best WA sprint is The Winterbottom, so we worked our way through that field,” James said.
“Chris has an unblemished record of three wins from three races with Hot Zed and it would be some achievement to make it four from four.
“I think everyone has their eyes wide open that it will be tough to beat the likes of Amelia’s Jewel, who can make a case to be one of the best in Australia at the moment.
“Amelia’s Jewel was locked in early, which was great for the race, and now we have some of the best from the east coast such as Uncommon James, Bella Nipotina and Asfoora.”
With contenders lined up for a thrilling race, James said the hustle to fill the slots had been a tough but exciting part of the experience.
“It takes me back to my teenage years in London nightclubs. There’s a lot of rejection but you just have to keep going,” he said.
“It’s a bit different from normal races in that you buy your starting position in the race. Then you go forward with an offer to a trainer of a horse to run in your slot and make a deal where each gets a percentage of the prize money.
“No one is offended when you offer them a slot in a $4 million race, you don’t make enemies doing that, but I have racked up a significant phone bill.”
With the deal locked in, James is looking forward to a unique race day on 15 April, 2023.
“We have the $500,000 Karrakatta Plate for two-year-olds and the $200,000 Joey as the consolation for the Quokka so it should be a huge sporting event,” he said.
“It’s also going to be a lot of fun.”
For a full list of slotholders and contenders, go to westerntrilogy.com.au
