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Racing

The BYD Quokka 2026: Talkanco Runner Profile

Talkanco is locked in for the $5 million BYD Quokka.

TALKANCO winning the Lawn Pride Australia
TALKANCO winning the Lawn Pride Australia Picture: AAP Image

Star filly Talkanco will take her place in the $5 million BYD Quokka (1200m) at Ascot on April 18 after connections secured a slot in Western Australia's richest race.

Last season's WA Champion Two‑Year‑Old will run under the Woodbridge and JLS Thoroughbreds banner following an agreement with co‑trainers Daniel & Ben Pearce.

A standout on this day 12 months ago when winning the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1200m) - the race immediately preceding what became Jokers Grin's Quokka triumph - Talkanco now gets her opportunity to carve out her own piece of Quokka history.

This year marks Pearce Racing's debut in the feature, with their stable star becoming just the fifth filly to contest the race.

Rated 107 by Racing and Sports for her narrow defeat in the Listed Pinjarra Classic (1300m) on February 22, Talkanco ranks as the third‑highest rated filly ever sent to the Quokka, behind WA darling Amelia's Jewel (118) and fellow three‑year‑old Luana Miss (108).

She also becomes the second WA‑trained runner confirmed for this year's edition, joining Luana Miss, who was the first horse announced after securing the TABtouch slot for trainer Trevor Andrews.

The pair have already built a compelling rivalry early in their careers, with the ledger sitting 2–1 in Talkanco's favour. The Pearce filly has claimed their last two clashes - both outright - coming in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1100m) and the Max Simmons (1000m).

That rivalry deepens when looking at early TABtouch markets: Luana Miss sits at $8*, while Talkanco is marked at $21*, despite holding the head‑to‑head advantage.

While Talkanco is more exposed than her fellow three‑year‑old and sits a pound below on peak RAS figures, she has not yet had the same opportunity to produce a standout number. Luana Miss earned her 108 peaks when tackling the elite level during The Pinnacles, finishing 2.1L off them in the Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) - a stage Talkanco has not yet been afforded.

With interstate heavyweights Caballus (118) and Rey Magnerio (117) also confirmed, Talkanco will need to elevate to be competitive if those rivals reproduce their best. However, the depth of competition in The Quokka often brings out new peaks, and she has the profile of a filly capable of rising to that level.

Three runs into her preparation - most recently a 1.1‑length fourth in the Listed Bunbury Stakes (1400m) - Talkanco is expected to remain at home for the next month before launching into the Quokka fresh, primed to attack the Ascot 1200m.

 

*Prices correct as of 12pm on March 12th.


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