Veteran jockey Phillip Crich, who has a long association with Northern Territory racing, spent a working holiday riding in the Top End during the Darwin Cup Carnival.
Having already relocated to Murray Bridge in 2019, Crich rang Darwin trainer Chris Pollard, a good mate, in June and during the chat the hoop said he needed a holiday.
Pollard suggested to Crich that he should ride for him during the carnival.
Crich was picking up rides on the South Australian provincial circuit and had a full-time job in Murray Bridge, but come June 25 – a week before the start of the Top End carnival – he was back riding at Fannie Bay.
The 53-year-old has been on and off in Darwin for about 18 years.
He remained for the rest of the carnival, which ended on August 1, before heading to Kununurra in WA for three weeks to ride for NT-based trainers Kerry Petrick and Russell Bell from late August until early September.
Returning to the NT, Crich continued to ride in Darwin and Alice Springs before deciding to relocate to the Red Centre permanently.
“I was going to go home to Murray Bridge, but plans changed,” he said.
“A couple of trainers invited me to stay here in Alice Springs.
“About three weeks ago, I went back to Murray Bridge and packed the house up and sorted a few personal things out.
“Doing a bit of part time work through the day.
“Things are going pretty good and I’m enjoying it – I’m as happy as Larry.
“There are a lot of good people here who I’ve known for a long time.
“Sort of got my certain trainers I ride for, but it’s pretty quiet this time of year.
“I’m willing to just freelance and also go to Darwin when needed.
“I think Alice is my last stop.”
Crich first started riding in Newcastle in 1984, and in the past two weeks at Alice Springs he has guided the same two horses to back-to-back wins at Pioneer Park.
On Saturday, the Petrick-trained four-year-old gelding Kikuyu ($4.40) saluted over 1200m (0-66) in the opening race on the five-event program before the Bell-trained five-year-old gelding Delago Lad ($1.24 fav) took out the next race over 1100m (Class 2).
And both wins mirrored that of the previous Saturday, when Kikuyu swooped late in the home straight and Delago Lad proved hard to catch out in front.
On October 29, Kikuyu, a first-up sixth in the Red Centre on October 16, was victorious in an 1100m maiden, while Delago Lad arrived from South Australia to lead his rivals a merry dance over 1000m (BM54).
Kikuyu had Greg Connor’s $5.50 hope Manhattan Man (Lek Maloney) for company as they finished over the top of the early pace-makers and Leanne Gillett stablemates Brat (Stan Tsaikos) and Esashi (Sonja Wiseman) in the home straight.
In the end, Kikuyu, who had the blinkers removed after his run on October 16, snuck home from Manhattan Man by a neck with Brat ($3.40) pipping Esashi ($3.30 fav) for third.
Alice Springs R1 replay | November 5, 2022 | Kikuyu (1st)
Delago Lad had shared the lead and sat three wide before winning by three and a half lengths on his Alice debut, but on Saturday he jumped to the lead from the outside gate and was never headed, beating Lisa Whittle’s $7 starter Vega Prince (Paul Denton) and Connor’s $9.50 runner Bold Tropic (Dan Morgan) by an emphatic five lengths.
“They’re both in-form horses, they’re going good,” Crich said.
“Kikuyu is still a young horse.
“Still learning his craft, but since they took the blinkers off he’s starting to learn how to flatten out properly and hit the line.
“Delago Lad – he lost all form in South Australia, but since he’s come here he’s had two starts for two good wins.
“He’s pretty smart – sometimes a change in environment can change a horse around.”
Crich, who has ridden throughout Australia, has now punched home 308 career winners.
Intercontinental (Jessie Philpot) made it six wins from 15 starts for the Connor stable on Saturday with victory over 1000m (0-64), but after jumping to an early lead he prevailed by just a head from Kevin Lamprecht’s $9 hope Lido Beach (Ianish Luximon) with Paul Gardner’s $6.50 chance Fair Go (Wiseman) coming third on his NT debut.
It was three wins in a row for the Sheila Arnold-trained Qualis (Casey Hunter) with victory over 1400m (0-58), and although never far from the leaders he looked in trouble at the final bend before rallying in the home straight.
Qualis ($3.60) ended up winning by a nose from the fast-finishing Abreha (Philpot), a $9.50 hope from the Connor stable, with Harbour Express (Denton), a $4.20 chance from the Whittle yard, some two lengths adrift in third place.
Roughly (Wiseman) is a 10-year-old mare, but she made it five wins from her past nine starts since July after leading from start to finish to secure victory for the Gardner yard over 1600m (BM76).
The mare won her first race over 1600m two starts ago when previous trainer Leah Walling-Denton employed similar tactics, and on Saturday she proved too good for $2.50 favourite Arrogant Miss (Maloney), a last-start winner, from the Bell stable and Winter Harbour (Luximon), a $12 outsider for the Whittle camp.
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