There was barely a whisker between Talkanco and Yes Queen in last weekend’s thrilling finish, and the pair remain nearly inseparable in Karrakatta Plate (1200m) markets as the feature race approaches.
Talkanco claimed the honours by half a head in a dramatic edition of the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) on Saturday, fending off a late charge from Yes Queen in a performance that confirmed both fillies as top contenders.
Brad Parnham guided Talkanco into a handy position, settling midfield, while William Pike opted to go back to last on Yes Queen from a tricky draw in the 13-runner field.
Both runners finished with purpose, surging home to gap the rest of the field, including third-placed Loves Talking, who was several lengths adrift.
Despite going down narrowly, Yes Queen remains the $3.40 favourite in betting for the Karrakatta Plate, with Talkanco close behind at $5 for trainers Dan and Ben Pearce.
Yes Queen impressed with a sizzling final 600m sectional of 33.72 seconds, though Dan Pearce was quick to praise his filly’s effort and believes she matched strides all the way to the post.
“She hit the front well and everything went to plan with Yes Queen rallying late, but I think our girl went with it,” Dan Pearce said on Tabradio.
“That last 50m and through the line she rallied again with her, so really happy and looking forward to two weeks’ time.
“From the gate we were thinking we want to ride her mid to second half and have a run building to a Karrakatta Plate being her grand final.
“I thought she ran true.
“We weren’t going to be gassing her rolling forward and finding a spot, we were happy with how she went to the races.
“She’s where she needs to be fitness wise and everything and we’ll try and keep her in one piece for two weeks.
“She’s got a big engine, and I think she’ll be more than competitive and right for the grand final.”
Talkanco reversed her prior loss to Yes Queen and Luana Miss in the Supremacy Stakes and now boasts an impressive record of two wins and two placings from just four career starts, with earnings climbing to $233,640.
The Pearce stable knows what it takes to win WA’s biggest juvenile race, having prepared Dig Deep for victory in the 2019 edition.
The Karrakatta Plate, a Group 2 contest with $500,000 in prizemoney, will take place on April 26 as part of the undercard to the $5 million Kia-Quokka (1200m) at Ascot.
