There’s two meetings to go in the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership, but trainer Terry Gillett and jockey Paul Denton look set to claim top honours for the 2023/24 season.
Gillett (24), who won the 2020/21 title, only hit the front in the trainers’ premiership a fortnight ago when a winning double saw him overtake Paul Gardner (23), who has never won a premiership and who had held sway out in front all season.
Denton (23), who made his NT debut in the Red Centre in 1983, holds a handy lead over last year’s champion jockey Sonja Logan (18.5) and Stan Tsaikos (17), the top rider for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.
The 60-year-old Denton won the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership on two occasions in the early 1990s, as well as the Top End and Country title on two occasions when based in Darwin.
Gillett has genuine hopes in all five races at Pioneer Park on Sunday, especially former Townsville galloper Altar Boy – the early $1.25 favourite with horse betting sites against 0-70 opposition over 1600m as he aims for four straight wins.
He will have eight other runners in action this weekend, with Supreme Times (Race 1), Supreme Goal (Race 2), Family Ties (Race 3), and Valley Prince and Li’lmissprancealot (Race 4) capable of delivering if they bring their best form to the table.
Gardner has seven starters, and using the form guide as a reference, his best hope rests with Never And Now (Race 2), while Perkova (Race 5) will have to produce something special to thwart Altar Boy.
“Terry’s had a good run lately, certainly post Alice Springs Carnival,” Thoroughbred Racing NT chief executive officer Andrew O’Toole said.
“He’s team is racing well, they also raced well during Carnival where he had five wins.
“Having Dakota Lee back has obviously given the stable a boost.
“He’s had five wins from the past two meetings and has good chances again on Sunday.
“Terry looks like he’s going to hang on and get the chocolates over Paul.
“Paul’s had a very good season as well – which includes two dead-heats.
“Terry has the momentum and probably has the stronger team at this time of the year.”
Denton’s best hopes on Sunday are aboard Flying Start (Race 1) and Quanapirri Bay (Race 3) – he also partners Perkova.
Logan has three decent bookings on Il Don Cavallo (Race 1), Another Val (Race 2) and Taormina Duchess (Race 3), but has only four rides for the day.
Tsaikos, riding as well as Denton and Logan, has three good appointments on Family Ties (Race 3), Li’lmissprancealot (Race 4) and Altar Boy.
“Paul has had a very good season, he’s an absolute freak,” O’Toole said.
“He’s 60 and he’s ridden 500 winners in the Red Centre, he’s flying.
“You’d find it hard pressed to see Sonja pegging him back.
“It would be another feather in the cap of an NT icon of racing in Paul Denton, that’s for sure.
“Well done to both Terry and Paul, they look like they’re going to hang on and claim the premierships.”
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