Horse Racing

Motion Pictures Wins Karrakatta Plate & WA Oaks won by Impressive Jeuney

On Saturday Ascot Racecourse hosted an elite day?s racing when headlined by two Group status races.

The scheduled highlight was the coveted $500,000 Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m), Perth?s richest race for two-year-olds.

In the 2010 Karrakatta Plate, improving filly Motion Pictures ($6.50) claimed victory a mere neck ahead of the warm pre-race favourite, the Peter Moody-trained Miss Gai Flyer ($3.70). Equal second favourite Absolute Pleasure ($6.50) finished off the trifecta in third place.

Miss Gai Flyer looked the winner holding a comfortable leading heading down the home straight, but a very talented and determined Motion Pictures chased down the leader and overtook the favourite in the final strides.

Motion Pictures, purchased for just $48,000 as a yearling in the 2009 Magic Millions Perth Sale, is from boom sire Oratorio, who also fathered last year?s Karrakatta Plate winner Gold Rocks.

Prepared by local Ascot trainer David Casey, two-year-old Motion Pictures has now won four and placed in two of her six career starts for $426,000 in prizemoney, with Saturday?s win standing as Casey?s biggest training success to date.

Earlier in the day, the $250,000 Group 3 WA Oaks (2400m) saw the favourite salute when the Darren McAuliffe-trained Impressive Jeuney ($1.85) claimed an impressive all-the-way win defeating runner-up Broccoletta ($16) by nearly three lengths with Tropical Fury ($8) in third.

Coming off a win in the Listed Natasha Stakes, the up-and-coming Jeune filly Impressive Jeuney has now won six of her 16 starts for over $441,000 in earnings.

Next Saturday?s $500,000 Group 1 Western Australian Derby (2400m) is a possibility for the improving filly, where she will face an open field of rivals.

For more information and detailed results of the 2010 Karrakatta Plate and the Western Australian Oaks click on the race names.

In other racing action across the country over the weekend, Morphettville racecourse in Adelaide hosted the $150,000 Group 2 Queen of the South Stakes (1600m) with the support race, the $100,000 Group 3 D C Mckay Stakes (1100m) also taking place at the track on Saturday.

Returntosender ($14) claimed an upset win in the Queen of the South Stakes as the hot favourite at $2.15, Zarita, finished a dismal fifth.

And don?t forget to check out the odds on this Saturday?s Western Australian Derby at IASbet, to see how WA Oaks winner Impressive Jeuney stacks up against the male runners.