Overshare Filly Wins G2 WA Guineas

The Group III WATC WA Champion Fillies Stakes heroine Storyville earned a shot at the upcoming Group I WATC Northerly Stakes after she gave the colts a start and beating in Saturday’s $500,000 Group II WATC White Claw – WA Guineas (1600m) at Ascot.

Trained by Grant and Alana Williams, Storyville has made rapid progress since learning to settle and being stepped up in trip to a mile.

A frantic pace set by Declan Bates on London’s Image set the stage for Willie Pike to bring Storyville with a well-timed run from near the tail of the field to score a short neck win.

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Pike was thrilled to get the win as he feared Storyville may have been slightly off her game.

“I think she wasn’t the same horse as last week,” Pike said.

“She’s normally very bubbly, and I think that was only 80 to 90 per cent of what she is capable of.

“Hopefully, they can pick her up and have a tilt at the Northerly.

“I thought she was a one-trick pony – straight to the front and lead; she has a massive stride and high head carriage, and I didn’t think she would be a horse to sit and find the line. I am happy to have been proven wrong.”

Storyville advances her record to four wins and a third from seven starts with earnings of $501,750.

A half-sister to stakes-placed winners Crescent City and Axeman’s Jazz, Storyville was bred by her trainers.

She is the fourth winner from five to race for the unraced Time Thief mare New Orleans, a half-sister to seven-time stakes winner Battle Hero and to the dam of Group II winner Treasured Star.

Storyville is the second stakes-winner, after Group I heroine Lady Laguna, for Widden Stud’s I Am Invincible stallion Overshare.