In 2012 Peter Moody put Black Caviar’s 21-win undefeated streak on the line with a trip to Ascot to take on the very best of Europe.
The trip from Australia to England was a whirlwind for racing fans and pundits from the moment she was loaded on the plane, with the mare wearing a skintight suit as she was famously lifted into the nose of a Singapore Airlines cargo hold.
This year Bjorn Baker will take a similar path with two-time Group 1 winner Overpass as the seven-year-old plots a course towards the King Charles III stakes on June 16 at Ascot.
“We have been taken plenty of advice from people who have been there (Ascot) before, “Bjorn Baker said.
“Probably the biggest piece of advice we have gotten from a number of people including Peter Moody and Chris Waller is to have them fit when they go over there and try not to replicate our training in the UK.
“There is limited time once they arrive –a fortnight once he races, so it’s about keeping him happy and ticking him over once he gets over there.”
Overpass will have one final run in Australia before making the trip across.
“He (Overpass) heads to Melbourne tomorrow (27th May) and he will stay down there (Melbourne) for a week – he will have a jump-out down the Flemington straight on Friday and fly out from Melbourne on Wednesday,” Baker said.
“A big thanks to the Flemington Race Club who reached out and they said they would put on a 900m trial down the straight at Flemington, so that gets him use to the straight racing as well.
“That was a benefit – it works out well to be in Melbourne for the last week.”
Overpass will join a fellow Australian raider hoping to make their name in England.
“He will stay in Lambourn along with Joliestar – she will be there as well,” he said. “They will be able to do a lot of their stuff together.”
The two-time Quokka winner will have a track gallop before race day.
“At this stage we will head to the Royal course on the 12th of June for a course proper gallop and that will be his only piece of work when he gets there,” Baker said.
A potential run in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes on the final day of the carnival is also an option.
“He is nominated for that (Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes), but at this stage we are mainly focusing on the Tuesday (King Charles III Stakes).”
