Bargain buy Where’s The Circus dominates 2025 Inglis Nursery

Jean Van Overmeire made the right call in giving up a full provincial book at Newcastle to focus on a single Randwick mount, with Where’s The Circus landing a stunning upset in the Inglis Nursery.

The filly, picked up online for just $1250, had impressed Van Overmeire when winning a recent Kembla Grange barrier trial, and he was eager to stay aboard once she was confirmed for Saturday’s $400,000 restricted feature.

“It’s always a bit tricky to do that, give up my provincial rides to come here, especially when I’ve only got one,” he said.

“But this race isn’t always strong and based on her trial and how she felt, I thought it was worth testing her.”

Where’s The Circus is prepared by Paul Murray, the son of the famed late trainer Bede Murray.

Murray grew up in a powerhouse stable, working through eras that produced Victory Vein, Half Hennessy and Universal Prince, while enjoying his own success with multiple stakes winner Predatory Pricer.

The winner’s half-sister, Can’t Find Snippy, ran third in the 2016 Inglis Classic—now the Inglis Millennium—but Murray revealed the stable had been in rebuilding mode.

“It is getting very hard,” he said.

“I only had a handful of horses. I had to get rid of the older ones and try again with a few two-year-olds and it looks like it’s going to pay off.”

The Inglis Nursery (1000m) was cut to nine runners when Billecart Blue was scratched at the start. Where’s The Circus ($51) took full advantage, charging straight to the lead and never relinquishing it, defeating Internal Affairs ($2.70 fav) by 1-1/4 lengths, with Regal Hustle ($20) third.

In a remarkable result, the cheapest horse in the entire field toppled blueblood rivals including a $440,000 yearling and $1.2 million colt Vatican, who finished fifth.

Van Overmeire later received a careless riding suspension from the race, sidelining him from December 23 to December 29.

Find the best odds for Australia’s feature races through this betting sites comparison.