What History Says: Karrakatta Plate
9 April, 2018
Thoroughbred
The Karrakatta Plate (1200m) is WA racing’s richest and most prestigious race for two-year-olds.
• The first winner of the juvenile race, staged in 1900 when it was run over 1000m, was Willie.
• Since 1979, when Oaksana Boy was successful, it has been run over 1200m.
• The Karrakatta Plate has held Group 2 status from 1979-84 and since 1999. Between 1985-to-1998 it was run as a Group 1
• The race was not held in 1901, 1993 and 1997, while the 2005 edition, taken out by No Questions, was run at Belmont Park.
• Hec McLaren’s Bomber Bill, in 1.10.16sec, recorded the quickest time for 1200m.
• Lucky Street (2015), Bomber Bill (1998), Metal Master (2000m), Redwoldt (2004) and Canny Jack (2006) have won the Perth Stakes-Karrakatta Plate double.
• Elegant Shell (1978), Scornvale (1983), Hold That Smile (1988) and Whispering Brook (2016) have completed the Gimcrack Stakes-Karrakatta Plate double.
• •Three horses have won the Supremacy Stakes-Karrakatta Plate double: Elegant Show (1978), Top Post (1982) and Whispering Brook (2016).
• Lucky Street (2015) and Lucy Mae (2017) are the only horses to have taken out the Magic Millions Perth 2YO Classic-Karrakatta Plate double.
• Paklani finished ahead of Highpak in the 1989 Karrakatta Plate but was later disqualified due to a positive swab.
• The race has had dead-heated on two occasions with His Double & Honneur (1922) and Jolly Beggar & Blue Moon (1908) sharing the honours.
• Easingwold won the 1920 Karrakatta Plate and three years later took out the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.
• The 1918 Karrakatta Plate commenced a feature streak for Eurythmic who was successful a year later in the Perth Cup and the Caulfield Cup in 1920.
• Frank Treen has won a record 6 Karrakatta Plates: Elegant Shell (1978), Sans Sabre (1970), Astra Vista (1961), Spherical (1957), Copper Beach (1951) and Barlowerie (1947).
• Current winning jockeys: Peter Knuckey: Whispering Brook (2016), No Questions (2005) and Diffraction (2003)
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• Pat Carbery (2): Night War (2011) and Gold Rocks (2009).
• Shaun McGruddy (2): Lucy Mae (2017) and Luke’s Luck (2012).
• Troy Turner (2): Motion Pictures (2010) and Daney Boy (1995).
• Jason Whiting (2): Canny Jack (2006) and Redwoldt (2004).
• Leading Trainers: J.J.Kelly with 7 wins. Beauflier (1937), Gay Balkan (1936), Three Stripes (1928), Kongoni (1925), Honneur (1922), Eurythmic (1918) and Bardeur (1915).
• Current Leading Trainers: Hec McLaren (3) Bomber Bill (1998), Umah (1997) and Alabama Whirly (1996).
• Trevor Andrews (2) Lucky Street (2015), Luke’s Luck (2012).
• Simon Miller (2) Whispering Brook (2016) and Night War (2011).
• Lou Luciani (2): Redwoldt (2004) and Born Priceless (2001).
• Ted Martinovich (2): Lucy Mae (2017) and Hold That Smile (1988).
• The most successful barrier since 1990 is gate two with five wins, barriers three and four have four wins each. Barriers one and 11 have three wins each
• Barriers five, 14 and 16 have not recorded wins in that time.
Since 1990 the girls have had the edge over the boys with 13 fillies, 8 geldings and five colts successful.
Julio Santarelli