Talented apprentice Dakota Gillett now leads the Alice Springs and Provincial jockeys’ premiership.
The 19-year-old, Central Australia’s leading apprentice for the past two seasons, has 12 wins after winning aboard Faithful Champion – trained by her father Terry – at Pioneer Park on Saturday.
The teenager is ahead of Stan Tsaikos and Paul Denton, with 11 wins, and Sonja Logan, who has 10 victories after a winning double.
Tsaikos was the champion rider for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons, Logan claimed the 2022/23 title, and Denton secured the 2023/24 premiership.
Gillett, who missed four weeks in the early spring because of suspension, produced a faultless display on Faithful Champion, a six-year-old gelding, against Class 2 opposition over 1200m.
The son of Pins – the $3 favourite with online bookmakers – settled on the fence and set the early pace with Greg Connor’s $4.40 hope Revolution Rising on his outside.
The pair were well ahead at the 600m and continued to eye-ball each other in the home straight before Faithful Champion skipped away at the 200m to overcome Revolution Rising by 1.5 lengths.
Faithful Champion, who had his final start for Flemington trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes last March after winning a 1200m Wagga Wagga maiden, was a close second over 1000m in his only Darwin start in October for local trainer Chris Nash.
Debuting in Alice Springs on January 5, the gelding finished fourth over 1100m in 0-58 grade before Saturday’s classy performance.
For Terry Gillett, last year’s top trainer, Faithful Champion’s victory made it 21 wins for the season.
He’s well clear of Lisa Whittle, boasting 12 wins, Kerry Petrick and Paul Gardner, who have 10 wins, and Greg Connor, with nine.
Whittle had a winning double when Logan, who landed a treble at Fannie Bay last Saturday, saluted on $1.65 BlondeBet favourite O’Tycoon in the open 1200m handicap and $1.55 favourite Hell Fire Miss in the other Class 2 over 1200m.
Connor’s $1.95 favourite Delago Lad, ridden by apprentice Lek Maloney, made it three wins on the bounce over 1100m in 0-70 grade.
Gardner’s $4.80 contender Zesty Spice, with Raymond Vigar on board, made it back-to-back wins with an impressive effort over 1400m at 0-64 level.
Ray Viney’s $16 prospect Tango Stepz, piloted by Queensland jockey Brendon Newport, returned from a spell to overcome his BM54 rivals over 1000m with a late finishing burst.
With temperatures soaring beyond 40C in Alice Springs during the week, the meeting was brought forward and it was 36C following the final event at 1.24pm local time.
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