Carrol Hunter’s Desert Lass maintained her amazing 1400m record at Alice Springs with success in the $25,000 Pioneer Park Anniversary Cup (BM76) on Saturday.
Second last year, the seven-year-old mare powered home over the concluding 200m to nail Terry Gillett’s That’s Justified (Stan Tsaikos) by half a length.
That made it six wins from 15 starts for Desert Lass, the $3 favourite with online bookmakers, over 1400m, which also includes six seconds and a third.
Rock Hero’s daughter, second in the 2023 and 2024 Alice Springs Cup (2000m), has had 43 starts in the Red Centre for 10 wins, 14 seconds and six thirds.
Hunter was looking to retire the mare following the Darwin Cup Carnival, but those plans could change.
“She does love the 1400m at Pioneer Park, and the Cummins Cup on Truckies Day is held in late August, so I don’t think I can say that it was her last Alice Springs run today,” she said.
Desert Lass, the 2023 Cummins Cup winner, heads back to Fannie Bay where she finished sixth in last year’s Darwin Cup (2050m).
With in-form apprentice Emma Lines the pilot on Saturday, Desert Lass (59.5kg) had a 2kg edge over That’s Justified ($5), who looked to have pinched the race when three lengths clear at the home turn.
Paul Gardner’s Perkova ($21) produced a solid effort for third.
Gardner (23) is 3.5 wins clear in the Alice Springs and Provincial trainers’ premiership after a winning double.
The handy Red Wraith (Sonja Logan) was a class above over 1000m (0-70) and Lamoree (Lines) saluted over 1000m (0-58) after five seconds in 10 Alice starts.
Red Wraith ($1.75 fav), sixth in the Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in April, was in no danger of defeat before beating the fast-finishing Cubic Zirconia ($14) and Boy Big ($15) home by a length.
Lamoree ($4.80), who disappointed at Tennant Creek in May, stormed home to pip Family Ties ($7.50), who skipped away at the 600m, for the narrowest of wins with Freedom Day ($12) third.
Tsaikos, who rode Family Ties, showed his ability to control the tempo when allowed to lead when Gillett’s Altar Boy ($2.90) crushed Hey Bull ($8) and Filthy Rich ($21) by 6.6 lengths over 1400m (BM54).
Paul Denton (21) is 5.5 wins clear in the jockeys’ premiership after Kerry Petrick’s Prancingintherain ($10) made it two wins from as many NT starts after leading early before toppling Another Val ($15) and Dummy Spit ($2.35 fav) by 1.3 lengths over 1100m (Class 2).
Il Don Cavallo ($3.90), ridden by Logan, sat off the pace over 1100m (Class 2) before sprouting wings to make it two wins from eight starts for Lisa Whittle after rolling Only The Best ($3.20 fav) and Eastside Diamond ($9.50) by 3.5 lengths.
Leading Darwin rider Jarrod Todd knew what he was doing when he guided Faberge Tzar ($2.20 fav) home by 2.5 lengths for Sale trainer Andrew Perdon over 1400m (BM54) from Valley Prince ($5.50) and Mi Mijo ($11) after he made his move at the 600m despite sharing the lead and sitting three deep.
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