It could be an exciting few weeks for Alice Springs trainer Terry Gillett.
His star mare, Dakota Lee, who made it 10 wins from 10 starts at Pioneer Park on Sunday with success over 1100m (BM76), is bound for the Darwin Cup Carnival to contest the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) on August 3.
The five-year-old daughter of Kuroshio, who missed two years of racing after developing claustrophobia, will be debuting in the Top End.
Gillett, the 2020/21 champion trainer in the Alice Springs and Provincial Premiership, could also secure the 2023/24 title after hitting the lead with a winning double at Pioneer Park.
Paul Gardner (23), who has never won Central Australia’s trainers’ premiership, has held sway all season, but Gillett (24) took over courtesy of Dakota Lee – $1.35 favourite with online bookmakers – and Altar Boy ($1.30 fav).
There’s two Alice Springs meetings to go, and with Gardner in Darwin, the door is ajar for Gillett, who was pipped by Lisa Whittle at the end of the 2021/22 season.
Stan Tsaikos, enjoying a purple patch in the Red Centre of late, and apprentice Jade Hampson shared the riding honours on Sunday with winning doubles.
After breaking the track record for 1200m (1:07.85) a fortnight ago, Dakota Lee (Tsaikos) was put to the test before kicking clear over the final 100m to sink Greg Connor’s Flying Start ($4.80) and Ray Viney’s Tango Stepz ($31) by three lengths.
Altar Boy (Tsaikos) made it three wins in a row following a first-up sixth in May after arriving from Townsville, but he had to dig deep before prevailing over 1400m (BM64).
He was never far from the lead, but Altar Boy travelled three deep and only hit the front with 100m to go before getting home by 1.3 lengths from Viney’s Duty ($15) – last at the 1000m – and Yannick Valenti’s Mexi Cola ($13).
Whittle’s Il Don Cavallo ($3.10), ridden by Sonja Logan, shared the early lead over 1200m (0-64) before hitting the front at the 600m and refused to buckle after a disappointing last start seventh to beat Connor’s Delago Lad ($2.70 fav) and Dan Morgan’s Arrogant Miss ($4.80) by 1.3 lengths.
Morgan’s $2.90 favourite Boy Big (Hampson), who hadn’t won since last October, and the rest of the field were content to allow Gillett’s Family Ties ($5) to take an early lead over 1100m (0-58).
Family Ties was two lengths clear at the 200m, but Boy Big swooped to win by 1.5 lengths with Viney’s Cubic Zirconia ($3.50) – last at the 700m – rocketing home for third.
Valenti, based in Derby (WA), arrived in town with a team for the June 16 meeting and was unsuccessful, but it was a different story on Sunday when Get Out Mick ($10) saluted over 1200m (Class 2).
Fourth in a 1400m maiden first up, Get Out Mick was seventh at the 600m before winding up in the home straight under the guidance of Hampson to nail Whittle’s Another Val ($3.50 fav) right on the line with Will Savage’s Becquerel ($8.50) third.
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