The 2026 $5million Quokka (1200m) delivered a brilliant contest that went right down to the wire and delighted an enormous crowd who had packed Ascot to the rafters!
Racegoers young and old had thronged into Perth’s beautiful old racecourse since the gates first opened on a perfect autumn morning.
Now, in the late afternoon sun they shouted along uproariously as the strains of “Sweet Caroline” (which has somehow become the national anthem of Australian racing thanks to The Everest) blasted over the PA and the Quokka field went down to the barriers in an electric atmosphere.
Cindy Alderson’s rejuvenated gelding Jigsaw held Quokka favouritism narrowly, the son of Manhattan Rain shooting for his seventh straight win and coming off G1 WFA triumphs in NZ and Melbourne.
The horse affectionately known to his nearest and dearest as “Benjamin Button” – after the film character who ages in reverse – is rising eight years old. He strode out kindly for his regular rider, apprentice Logan Bates, and the pair of them looked as cool as cucumbers in all the noise and bustle.
The Newmarket hero Caballus ( I Am Invincible) was up and about for jockey Tommy Berry and the Bjorn Baker camp as he looked to pick up the winner's baton from stablemate and dual Quokka legend Overpass.
Robbie Griffith’s Rey Magnerio (Magnus) paraded like he'd seen it all before – which he had, six months ago, when he won the Gold Rush at Ascot.
Again ridden by Perth's champion hoop Willie Pike (so by default carrying the vast majority of the local money) six year old Rey paraded in businesslike fashion.
Perthians have taken Robbie and his equine streetfighter to their hearts and those nearby let that be loudly and warmly known as Robbie attempted without a lot of success to be heard in a pre-race interview!
Caballus and Rey were equal second favourites from the best backed locals Smooth Chino ( Maschino) at 7/1 and three year old filly Luana Miss (Bivouac) at 10/1 the latter attempting to give the Dan Morton stable a feature race double on this huge day.
Many considered the pick of the yard to be the Ciaron Maher trained raider Spywire ( Trapeze Artist) at 16/1 who was absolutely glowing, but they all looked fantastic – as you'd expect of a field racing for $5 million dollars!
Jedibeel (Savabeel) rounded out the posse of interstaters and had been the subject of good support earlier in the week, but now he too was drifting alarmingly as the late money poured in for Jigsaw.
Rope Them In (Playing God), Magnificent Andy (Magnus), Oscar's Fortune ( Rich Enuff), West Star (Playing God) and Sisu Warrior ( Gold Standard) were all more or less friendless while the second – and less fancied – three year old filly in the field Talkanco (I'm All The Talk) was sent out at odds of 20/1.
The burning question was, how easily would Jigsaw and Caballus cross from their wide gates? That question was quickly answered as the Quokka field got away to a mighty roar!
Jigsaw and Caballus both flew the barriers across the face of the field with blistering speed and near – contemptuous ease.
Jedibeel and Spywire dropped in behind them with West Star pushing forward next.
Magnificent Andy and Smooth Chino had both contrived to completely faff the start. Andy now made up some fast ground through to midfield, with Talkanco racing beside him. Rey Magnerio had got well back as is his wont, with Smooth Chino now caught awkwardly out of his preferred racing pattern.
Luana Miss and Rope Them In were miles back as the Quokka field thundered through the 500m!
Jigsaw had assumed complete control and sped them towards the turn. He saw it approaching and his ears pricked forward. Not so Jedibeel, who was already flat to the boards trying to stay in touch, ditto Spywire. Caballus was still at Jigsaw’s quarters but the effort was starting to tell. West Star had been sooled around them to challenge but was already feeling the pinch as they entered the straight with Talkanco right on his tail.
They straightened up and Jigsaw gave a mighty kick! He got away from Caballus, who tried to rally his forces to no effect. Spywire was battling on valiantly, Jedibeel and West Star had called it a day, but where were Pikey and Rey?
They were on their way! Rey Magnerio with a scintillating burst of acceleration was rocketing down the centre of the Ascot straight. He had at least eight lengths to make up! The roar from the crowd was deafening as the brave son of Magnus with The Wizard willing him on, stormed to the line.
Rey Magnerio was literally carrying the grandstand but he bore on relentlessly as the post neared. Jigsaw was his equal in tenacity and it was a fantastic finish between two warriors – everything you want a horse race to be.
Jigsaw was strongest – holding off his rival by a long neck on the line for a famous victory!
While that epic battle unfolded, little Talkanco had woven a passage between tiring horses and now grabbed third less than a length behind her two elders.
What an outstanding effort from the Pearce trained filly, who was vetted on race morning for a suspected hoof abscess but passed fit to run. What a superstar!
Spywire held on for fourth, another great effort – and Rope Them In was next best of the locals, unwinding his big finish to end up one and a half lengths off the winner in fifth place.
His Quokka glory takes Jigsaw's record to 40 starts for 16 wins and 5 placings which have netted him just a tick under $5 million in stakes.
It's a truly remarkable renaissance for a galloper who failed to win a race in two and a half years.
His first G1 win came at his 37th race start! That makes Jigsaw the oldest Australian horse to win their first G1 since WA legend Rogan Josh took out the Mackinnon Stakes in 1999, at start number 35.
“Words just fail me,” said an emotional Cindy Alderson after the race.
“Seven in a row, seven years old, there was some kind of synergy to it. It's just been an amazing trip.
"I turned down an offer from Hong Kong for him and I thought I'd hedge my bets! I said to Marcus ( co-owner Marcus Price) , he's a nice horse, do you want to get involved – and we've just had the ride of a lifetime. I mean how could you go any better than this?
"I saw Rey flash late, what a great run by Rey and that team. They’ve done an amazing job with that horse.”
Winning Quokka jockey Logan Bates was also overwhelmed.
“What a horse! He leaves me speechless. He's gone to NZ, won a G1 then won a G1 in Australia and now he's travelled to Perth,” said the gifted young hoop
“ Dare I say it, he probably wasn't 100%…..he's probably come to the end of it but it just goes to show his will to win. He was all out at the 100m and I gave him a couple of reminders and he just kept surging and that's what's so special about him. He'll do anything for you, he's so willing and it's very rewarding.”
Jigsaw delivered back to back Quokkas for slot holders Ladbrokes following on from their win with Jokers Grin in 2025.
Now four years in, it was very evident today that WA racegoers have taken The Quokka to their hearts and intend to celebrate and support it in a big way. Ascot probably hasn’t seen a crowd like that in quite a few years, which is exciting for WA racing!
But let’s get back to the remarkable Jigsaw.
The gelding was bred by Mrs LB Alderson from the winning Lonhro mare Demandz, and is the best of her three winners to date.
Demandz has a yearling filly by Street Boss named Labyrinth, and foaled another filly in the spring from the first crop of Darley’s G1 Newmarket winner Cylinder (Exceed And Excel).
Demandz is a daughter of Listed winner Loaded Command (Commands) a relation of multiple G1 heroine Stefi Magnetica and her G1 winning dam Mid Summer Music
Their common ancestress is the Irish 1,000 Guineas winner Black Satin by Linacre, fourth dam of both Stefi Magnetica and Demandz. Black Satin's half sister Front Row won the same race and through her son Long Row is influential in the pedigree of the late great So You Think.
This is a branch of family 42 which descends from April View.
Jigsaw's sixth dam Panaview is closely related to the great filly April Run (French Champion 3YO Filly, French Champion Mare, American Champion Turf Mare)
Jigsaw is bred
Northern Dancer 4m,5m x 6m
Mr Prospector 5f x 5m sex balanced
Blue Hen Eight Carat x 4m,5f sex balanced
That good old Eight Carat inbreeding strikes again!
Jigsaw is also linebred to Blue Hen Best In Show and through his grand dam Loaded Command, comes the interesting sire L'Emigrant – a champion miler in France, by Nijinsky's three quarter brother The Minstrel and inbred to his own ancestress Almahmoud via three quarter sisters Natalma and Cosmah – the latter we are used to seeing as dam of Halo but here the line is through her daughter Perfecta by Swaps. This pattern of course is replicated by Command's sire Danehill, while Manhattan Rain brings Nijinsky to meet The Minstrel.
Jigsaw is one of 21 stakes-winners for his sire Manhattan Rain who now resides at Geisel Park Stud in WA and has been represented by four G1 winners to date.
The half brother to Redoute's Choice by Encosta De Lago is that rare beast, the sire of a Golden Slipper winner that trained on to further G1 victory ( She Will Reign) and a G1 Oaks winner (Benagil).
The progeny of Manhattan Rain have won everything from the G1 Moir Stakes 1000m to the VRC St Leger 2800m.
Manhattan Rain covered a book of 40 mares last spring at a fee of $5,500 at Geisel Park.
