TESTA Rossa gelding Over Quota earned himself the title as the find of the summer after recording a hat trick of wins and sewing up the $100,000 MRC Summer Championship Final (1600m) at Sandown yesterday.
The Mark Webb trained six-year-old began his hot streak with a win at the Lakeside course on December 21 before taking out the VRC Comedy King Handicap (1600m) which served as the unofficial prelude to Saturday’s feature.
“He is very tough,” Webb said.
“I worked out he is horse you don’t have to over work, just let him find his feet.”
“I didn’t expect him to win at Flemington a fortnight ago but he was set for this series and final because he is very strong at a mile. He has done a wonderful job.”
Incredibly despite his two preliminary wins, Over Quota started at $16 in the Final putting paid to his more fancied rivals with the same degree of class and authority that he had in his two prior starts.
Over Quota was purchased for just $28,000 at the 2007 Melbourne Yearling sale and after yesterday’s win, his earnings are just short of $200,000.
The gelding is out of a Zabeel mare, and given that his sire has delivered stakeswinners up to 2800m, Webb feels that the horse may be able to go beyond a mile and still maintain his supremacy.
“We will just give him a little let up for week and probably push him up to 2000 metres now,” Webb said.
“I have always believed he will race over 2000 metres if ridden back.”
“He settles a lot better now.”
