Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
When Great Barrier Reef won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot it seemed like an omen for the two Australian contenders in the race to follow, the prestigious King Charles III Stakes.
And when the pair, Overpass and 2024 winner Asfoora, led as the winning post approached that seemed to be confirmed.
But then, with King Charles III himself watching on, Mission Central came up on the outside and it transpired the omen was for Aiden O’Brien, the veteran trainer who had saddled Great Barrier Reef.
That had brought his Ascot ally to 97 and with Ryan Moore piloting Mission Central to a 14-1 victory a century is two away.
Not that Bjorn Baker, trainer of Overpass, was too downhearted that his 3-1 favourite had failed to hold on, finishing third as Rayevka, from France, took second.
“He went super, he did us very proud. I just said he’s not quite a champion in terms of Australia, but he’s our champion, and he delivered for us again,” said Kiwi-born Baker, whose stables are in Sydney’s west.
“It’s absolutely special to be here,” added Baker, whose seven-year-old also holds an entry for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
“When you’re from Woodville in New Zealand like me and you’re training in Sydney and living the dream, we always look at the positive. We beat 23 others!
“He’s gone amazingly. He’s a war horse to travel over. We were always a little bit worried about the rise, and maybe that was the difference between winning and losing. He didn’t quite nail the gate like we thought he would today, but look, I’ve been beaten by two of the best trainers in the world.
“Tell you what, I want to beat them next time! In Australia we love an underdog and we’ll have a try.”
Referencing his top hat, standard attire in the royal enclosure, he added: “Trust me, I haven’t bought this hat for nothing!”
