Waitak brings NZ pride to tough race in Western Australia
Kiwi trainer Andrew Scott says there is a silver lining in having to take on Western Australia’s superstar mare Amelia’s Jewel with Waitak in Saturday’s A$5 million ($5.4m) Quokka in Perth.
Waitak will fly the New Zealand and Trackside Media flag in the 1200m slot race, which has come up stronger than Scott and training partner Lance O’Sullivan may have liked.
Not only does it boast Eastern Seaboard speedsters such as Bella Nipotina, King Of Sparta and defending Quokka champion Overpass but also local heroine Amela’s Jewel, who was being touted as Australia’s best horse in the spring.
She showed glimpses of brilliance then, including overpowering Pride Of Jenni in the Stocks Stakes at The Valley — before the wheels fell off her campaign.
Back home in Perth, she is the $3 favourite for the Quokka but has drawn barrier 12 and Scott hopes that can aid Waitak.
“We have barrier 10 and the ideal scenario would be to get on her tail and follow her everywhere,” he explained. “I am not saying if we do that, we can run past her, because she is a very good mare — but it might give us the right cart into the race.”
As stunning as Waitak was in winning the Railway at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, Scott realises he faces a huge challenge on Saturday.
“The horse himself is really good, sound and happy,” he says. “But to see his absolute best, he would have liked some easing in the track, which I don’t think we are going to get.
“We are realistic about what needs to happen because the field has come up strong and he will get back so we want them to go very hard and come back to us late.”
While the Quokka won’t be easy to win, Scott says the stable is relishing the challenge of being a rare New Zealand raider in Perth.
“The Entain/TAB guys we have been dealing with as the slotholders have been brilliant so we have been well looked after and we are proud to be over here representing them and New Zealand.
“And it will be a huge week with the other codes having big slot races, so there is a lot going on.”
New Zealand-trained thoroughbreds racing in Perth are rare and the racing there can sometimes be an outlier for Kiwi punters.
New Zealand racing fans know few of the local jockeys except William Pike, there is little expat Kiwi participation and few New Zealand-bred horses, although that is changing as Western Australia’s biggest owner Bob Peters invests in New Zealand bloodstock.
Another factor is the time difference, with the feature races in Perth not kicking in until early evening on Saturday, New Zealand time, by which time punter fatigue can be a factor after huge days of domestic racing — as well as the more popular Victorian and New South Wales racing.
Like many things Entain has done since taking over the New Zealand TAB, taking a slot in the Quokka is as much about raising Kiwi punters’ awareness and engagement with West Australian racing, with a plan to grow a relatively untapped market.
After the high drama of Damien Oliver winning his final career ride in Perth in December and the build-up to Saturday’s race, WA racing is at least in the conversation here.