The $1.5 million Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) is poised to be an elite, yet concise, battle at Ascot Racecourse this Saturday, with the betting market dominated by a thrilling rivalry.
Two-time defending champion Overpass is chasing a historic three-peat in the 2025 Winterbottom Stakes this Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart.
At the top of the Winterbottom Stakes odds is the flying local talent Jokers Grin, set to challenge the Sydney raider and dual defending champion, Overpass.
The feature sprint has been reduced to just nine runners following the early scratchings of Man Crush (7) and Spacewalk (1), but the quality remains sky-high.
Ascot Specialist Leads the Market
The current favourite, with his price firming to $2.45 through Ladbrokes, is the Bernie Miller-trained Jokers Grin.
This five-year-old gelding, the reigning The Quokka winner, is a genuine Ascot track specialist, boasting an incredible local record of 6 wins and 2 placings from 8 starts at the course.
Jokers Grin has been in flawless form, overcoming a wide barrier to secure the $4 million The Quokka in the autumn.
He has continued his dominance this preparation with back-to-back victories in the Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes and Colonel Reeves Stakes.
With Patrick Carbery in the saddle from gate five and a drop in weight at the set-weights scale, he is rock-hard fit and only improving third-up.
Overpass Seeks Unprecedented Three-Peat
The major threat to the local hope comes from the Bjorn Baker-trained Overpass, who has slightly eased in the Winterbottom Stakes betting to $2.70.
The Sydney sprinter is on the cusp of making history, aiming to become the first horse ever to win the famous WA sprint race three times.
The seven-year-old son of Vancouver, who has become a cult hero in Perth, has an outstanding overall Ascot record with four wins from five starts, including his two Winterbottom titles and back-to-back Quokka victories in 2023 and 2024.
His single defeat came in this year’s Quokka, when finishing fifth, beaten 1.6 lengths by Jokers Grin—a score he will be desperate to settle.
Josh Parr travels west to partner Overpass, who draws favourably in barrier two.
Though winless since his successful defence last summer, his last outing was a credible fourth to the brilliant Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising in the $20 million The Everest on October 18, keeping him well-spaced for this assignment.
Best of the Rest in the Winterbottom Market
Outside the clear top two in betting, two other contenders sit next in the market at a quote of $9.00 each: the Robbie Griffiths-trained Victorian raider Rey Magnerio and Trevor Andrews‘ exciting three-year-old filly Luana Miss.
Rey Magnerio, a six-year-old Magnus gelding, has a solid 1200m strike-rate, having won the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint fresh before a closing third under a weight penalty last start at Flemington.
Punters are latching onto the fact he meets rivals on equal terms in the weights here, boosted significantly by the booking of the ‘Wizard of the West’, William Pike.
Meanwhile, Luana Miss is chasing a hat-trick of wins but is up against a challenging historical trend as a three-year-old filly.
While a three-year-old male hasn’t won the Winterbottom since Hardrada in 2002, female three-year-olds have an even longer drought with Belinda’s Star (1975) the last to get the job done.
Despite drawing the outside alley, this well-bred Bivouac filly enjoys a significant weight advantage, dropping to just 51.5kg at Weight-For-Age.
She is in career-best form with back-to-back victories at her home track, including the Listed Placid Arc Stakes, and with Shaun O’Donnell aboard, her light weight puts her firmly in the mix.
The 2025 Winterbottom Stakes is scheduled to run as Ascot Race 9 at 5:00pm (AWST) / 8:00pm (AEDT).
2025 Winterbottom Stakes Field & Barrier Draw
| No | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Barrier | Weight | Age | Sex | Last Starts | Prize Money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overpass | Josh Parr | Bjorn Baker | 2 | 58.5kg | 7 | G | 259×4 | $12,006,125 |
| 2 | Jokers Grin | Patrick Carbery | Bernie Miller | 5 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 21×11 | $2,491,455 |
| 3 | Oscar’s Fortune | Chris Parnham | Dion Luciani | 4 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 69×22 | $1,316,660 |
| 4 | Rey Magnerio | William Pike | Robbie Griffiths | 6 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 74×13 | $1,133,700 |
| 5 | Rope Them In | Shaun McGruddy | Steve Wolfe | 8 | 58.5kg | 5 | G | 70×12 | $1,018,305 |
| 6 | Libertad | Jamie Mott | Annabel & Rob Archibald | 1 | 58.5kg | 5 | H | 8×474 | $862,700 |
| 7 | Man Crush | Holly Watson | Luke Fernie | 7 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 88930 | $848,627 |
| 8 | Spacewalk | Lucy Fiore | Grant & Alana Williams | 1 | 58.5kg | 6 | G | 354×6 | $846,450 |
| 9 | Repossession | Brad Parnham | Chris & Michael Gangemi | 3 | 58.5kg | 4 | G | 11×33 | $288,760 |
| 10 | Benedetta | Daniel Stackhouse | Ciaron Maher | 7 | 56.5kg | 6 | M | 47×75 | $2,177,415 |
| 11 | Luana Miss | Shaun O’Donnell | Trevor Andrews | 9 | 51.5kg | 3 | F | 0x211 | $459,740 |
This page and the written content within it were partially generated using AI or automated technology and edited and verified by our editorial team.
WHAT ARE YOU PREPARED TO LOSE TODAY? SET A DEPOSIT LIMIT.
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
