Alice Springs racing has been rocked following the departure of leading trainer Lisa Whittle.
Whittle, a multiple winner of the Alice Springs trainers’ premiership, has spent some 25 years in the Red Centre, winning a plethora of feature races in Alice Springs and Darwin.
She was the trainer of Perudki and Desert Lashes, among two of the best horses to emanate from the Northern Territory.
Desert Lashes kicked off her career with five straight wins at Pioneer Park before having success in Adelaide and Melbourne, while Periduki also started his career with five straight wins in the Red Centre before starring in Adelaide.
The loss of Whittle is a major blow for the Alice Springs Turf Club with the 2023 Cup Carnival starting on April 8.
Of the 11 horses in her stable before leaving on February 14, Desert Lass will soon join the stable of Leah Walling-Denton, Envy Me and Zap will be retired to Darwin, and the remaining eight horses owned by Greg Stewart will return to South Australia next week.
They include Mathematics, Drawn To Win, Freedom Day, Ananagram, Cyclonite, Mighty Murt, Vega Prince and Harpuna, with Desert Lass, Mathematics and Drawn To Win having their last Alice start under Whittle’s name on Saturday.
Whittle had already trained 15 winners this season and led the trainers’ premiership from Greg Connor (11) and Dick Leech (9).
She boasts 606 career wins and posted just her second win in 2023 when Freedom Day saluted last Saturday.
“She left on the Tuesday of last week and I believe she was having a week off,” said Paul Denton, a leading NT jockey based in Alice Springs and a regular rider for the Whittle stable.
“It was a total shock, I’ve been back here from Darwin four or five years riding for her.
“I’ve ridden on and off for Lisa for about 25 years.
“I think she’s been thinking about it for a while.
“I honestly thought she’d be here until the carnival.
“In the last two or three weeks a lot of things have changed in her life and she just decided that she wanted to get out.
“In the last three or four months we’ve had 21 horses getting ready for the carnival.
“They’ve all just gone.
“Three or four went to Greg Connor, Bear Forever went to Dick Leech, one went to Rene Taylor – they’ve been spread around a bit.
“Whether or not Greg Stewart’s horses are up to winning down south is another question, they probably would if the place was right.”
Since Whittle left town, Denton has been monitoring the horses and believes her exit will impact Alice Springs racing in the future.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Lisa go as I have admired her as a trainer,” Denton said.
“I know the drill and her routine, I probably know it better than she does.
“It’s not too bad at the moment when you’ve got 11.
“Personally, it’s sad to see her horses go.
“I’ve been working with these horses for three or four months and now they’re all gone.
“They’re like family to you after a while.”
Whittle and Denton are also good friends, and have enjoyed plenty of success as a combination.
“We had our 100th winner at the end of last season with Maudy,” Denton said.
“I’ve ridden 107 winners for her, so we’ve had a pretty long and successful association.
“She’s been a legend trainer here and she certainly has an eye for a horse.
“She’s won about 11 or 12 premierships in Alice Springs.
“Desert Lashes, she bought her here as an unknown – went to Adelaide and won a Listed race.
“Same with Periduki, I won a Listed race on him in Adelaide.
“That was a big thrill – he was a very good horse.
“I’ve always enjoyed riding for her – when you’re riding for good trainers it makes your job easier.”
According to Denton, Whittle, the daughter of the late South Australian trainer Mick Whittle, has returned to the family property at Strathalbyn, where brother Scott is also an accomplished trainer.
Lisa, who trained her first winner at Mount Gambier with Tarkedia Drum in 1997, took a small team to Alice Springs in the late 1990s for her father and ended up staying.
“It’s hard to say what Lisa will do next, but she could train anywhere,” Denton said.
“In saying that, you’ve got to have the cattle.
“Hope she does well wherever she goes.
“You never know – three, four or six months’ time she might come back to Alice Springs.”
Finally, Whittle leaving town might well affect Denton with the Alice Springs Cup Carnival fast approaching.
Denton is an outstanding jockey and will undoubtedly pick up rides from various trainers, but whether he will enjoy the continued success he had with Whittle is another question.
“Things have flipped upside down, especially in my world,” he said.
“Leading up to carnival a lot of people have got their own jockeys.
“Now I’ve got to try and search for a ride.
“Lucky enough there’s a lot of trainers coming to Alice Springs – hopefully I will be able to pick up the pieces here and there.”
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