Honours were shared on the opening day of the new season at Alice Springs on Saturday.
The Ray Viney-trained Quzzle, with Jessie Philpot aboard, won the main race over 1600m (BM76), making it three wins from nine starts at Pioneer Park since arriving from South Australia.
The five-year-old gelding, who has finished among the minor placings on five occasions and was fourth in his only other start for Viney, settled last in the seven-horse field before setting after runaway leader Fair Go at the 900m.
Quizzle caught Fair Go at the 500m and led as Nicole Irwin’s $2.80 favourite Eureka’s Victory (Adam Nicholls), who was having his final NT start before heading back home to SA, was clearly winding up from the back of the field.
Into the home straight it was Quizzle ($4.80), the son of Sizzling, that held what seemed to be a winning lead, but Eureka’s Victory was finishing fast before falling 0.6 lengths short at the finish.
It was Quizzle’s first win since making it back to back wins over 1400m (BM54) in March.
Eureka’s Victory starred during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival in April with three wins and a third from four starts before winning once from four starts during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival.
In the end, Eurerka’s Victory gave Quizzle far too much start with Philpot’s bold tactics paying dividends – Terry Gillett’s Valley Prince, a $4.80 chance with Stan Tsaikos on board, was a distant third.
The final two heats in the Alice Springs Turf Club’s Red Centre Winter Series were held over 1200m (BM54) with the honours going to Lisa Whittle’s $2.90 favourite Lastar (Alice Lindsay) and Greg Connor’s $6 prospect Toffiato (Mark Pegus).
Lastar, a five-year-old gelding, was under the care of Irwin during the Alice Springs and Darwin Carnivals where he actually had a win in the Red Centre before he was transferred to the stable of Whittle, who has dominated the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership over the years, after her recent return from SA.
Battling for the early lead, Lastar, a last start second by the bearest of margins in the Alice a fortnight ago, settled in third place before making his move at the 500m and once straightening for home caught Viney’s $3.70 leader Square Cut (Philpot) at the 300m to win by three lengths.
Connor’s $7 runner Trystoff (Lek Maloney) pipped $10 stablemate Bold Tropic (Dan Morgan) for third.
For Toffiato, a 10-year-old gelding, it was back to back wins, but he left it extremely late before nailing Whittle’s $8 fancy Miss Miduki (Nicholls), with Morgan’s $3.50 bookmaker favourite Boy Big (Dakota-Lee Gillett) a length and a half away in third place.
Toffiato was last in the eight-horse field when they settled, but he got going at the 900m with Family Times, last start winner Boy Big and Talent Quest well clear out in front.
Miss Miduki was the biggest threat at the 400m and once turning for home looked the likely winner after rounding the three leaders, but alas Toffiato – aiming for his ninth win from 75 starts – stormed home up the middle to seal victory by 0.14 lengths.
Happy to settle at the rear against her five rivals, the Paul Gardner-trained Miss McGregor (Nicholls) finally achieved that elusive first win in the Red Centre at the 10th attempt by rolling her rivals by 4.35 lengths over 1400m (0-64).
Miss McGregor, the $2.60 favourite, had made up ground by the 800m and was in fact cruising before overtaking the early leaders Kummerlings and I’m Dun Deelin’ at the corner with 350m to go.
The six-year-old mare was never in danger of defeat with Connor’s $3.40 candidate Radio Room (Maloney), third down the side before being blocked for a run at the corner, running home nicely for second with Wayne Davis grabbing third aboard $6.50 runner Sienna’s Choice for Will Savage.
Jen’s Reward ($6.50), who kicked off her career in Victoria, had two previous starts in the Red Centre before finally tasting success at the 13th attempt by winning the 1200m maiden for trainer Leanne Gillett – daughter Dakota-Lee was the pilot.
Safe to say that Jen’s Reward, a five-year-old mare, started poorly before gradually winding up once leaving the back straight and in a frantic finish just managed to sneak home to edge out Connor’s $4 favourite Danny Whizzbang (Pegus) by a nostril with Gardner’s $6.50 contender Quick Return (Davis) a length away in third place.
The $40,000 final in the Red Centre Winter Series over 1200m (BM66) is scheduled for August 25 with 12 runners set participate.
There were nine heats where a pointscore system applied and at this stage the following are in contention to contest the final – Brat, Square Cut, Toffiato, Boy Big, Kickatorp, Real Divine, Truckload Of Hoffa, Lastar, Talent Quest, Manhattan Man, Speed Wheel, Tycoons Dior, The Last Charge and Family Ties.
12/8/23 Alice Springs Race 5 Replay – Quizzle (1st)
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