New Zealand raider Crocetti locked in for The Quokka

A two-time New Zealand Group 1 winner is the latest horse to be locked in for next month’s $5m The Quokka at Ascot.

NZ sprinter Crocetti is set to tackle The Quokka next month. Picture: Kenton Wright/Race Images

Winning machine Crocetti has been locked in for next month’s $5m The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot.

The dual Group 1 winner will run for the Trackside NZ/Perth Racing slot with owner and co-breeder Daniel Nakhle rapt with the opportunity to take on Perth’s autumn feature.

“This horse has already provided us with so much fun and excitement in his career,” Nakhle said.

“To take it to the next level with this trip to Perth alongside the Trackside NZ and Perth Racing teams is another memorable step along a pretty amazing journey.”

Trained by Danny Walker and Arron Tata, Crocetti has won nine of 14 throughout his career, including twice at Group 1 level in the NZ 2000 Guineas (2023) along with the most recent running of the Sistema Railway.

Crocetti wins the G1 Sistema Railway by a nose in a photo finish! 📸 pic.twitter.com/GqxjfSpBAJ

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 25, 2025

He was last seen earlier this month at Ellerslie when finishing second to Alabama Lass, widely regarded as the most promising three-year-old in New Zealand.

He’s set to be the second Kiwi-trained runner to tackle The Quokka after Waitak had a crack in 2024.

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Perth Racing chief executive James Oldring was keen to lock in Crocetti for the race following all the positives that Waitak brought last year.

“We’ve watched the New Zealand racing with interest over the summer, and to get the Champion Sprint Series winner as the Kiwi representative is a fantastic result,” Oldring said.

“We saw great wagering results on The KIA Quokka last year in New Zealand through our slot partnership with Trackside NZ, and with a boom sprinter like Crocetti, we expect that Kiwi interest in racing in Perth will continue to grow.”

Crocetti opened as a $26 chance in futures markets for The Quokka but has since been wound into $15.

Overpass is the only horse to have won The Quokka and is rated as the $2.80 favourite to make it three in a row.