The road to the 2025 Alice Springs Cup and Pioneer Sprint reached a thrilling climax at Pioneer Park on Saturday, with standout performances from Hasseltoff and Lumber Punk in the Red Centre’s final lead-up races.
Dick Leech’s Hasseltoff made it three wins from three Pioneer Park starts in spectacular style in the $40,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) at weight-for-age.
Eight lengths adrift in last place passing the 600m in the 10-horse field, apprentice Hannah Le Blanc elected to circumnavigate the opposition.
Forced six deep turning for home, Hasseltoff pursued Terry Gillett’s runaway leader Great Buy and with amazing speed the son of Toorak Toff pounced late to prevail by three quarters of a length.
Hasseltoff – the $1.40 favourite with online bookmakers – will now target the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) next Sunday.
Gary Clarke’s Lumber Punk also chased down the leader before taking out the Ladbrokes Racing Experts WFA (1200m), but his task was less stressful.
Missing the start from gate one, Lumber Punk was fifth on the fence passing the 800m before picking up momentum in fourth place at the 400m approaching the final bend.
Gary Connor’s Delago Lad had skipped away at the 700m to lead the 10-horse field and led by two lengths at the top of the home straight before Lumber Punk’s jockey Jarrod Todd found clear air.
Lumber Punk ($3.90), a six-year-old gelding by Starspangledancer, nailed Delago Lad at the 150m to win by two lengths.
Hasseltoff, boasting three Flemington wins from 53 career starts, had celebrated success at Morphettville (two) and Gawler for Adelaide trainer Phillip Stokes before heading north.
A first up win over 1600m against BM66 opposition with 61kg as a $2.60 second favourite on February 22 was followed by a barn-storming victory in open company over 1600m on March 8 as a $1.55 favourite when he saluted by 5.8 lengths and broke the track record (1.32.68) with 56.5kg.
All runners lumped 59kg on Saturday and the Leech camp had cause for concern at the 900m when Hasseltoff lost momentum with Le Blanc unable to find a clear path.
In the end, it proved a memorable win and Great Buy ($10) was desperately unlucky after Stan Tsaikos came close to pulling off another magical win by controlling the early tempo.
Last year’s Darwin Cup (2050m) winner Hadouken ($12), ridden by Todd, finished almost six lengths adrift of the leading pair in third place in his Alice Springs debut.
Peter Robl’s six-year-old gelding from the Gold Coast was clearly short of a gallop.
Tayarn Halter’s $18 prospect Funnyifitwon (Raymond Vigar) was an eye-catching fourth.
Lumber Punk, second in Darwin’s Palmerston Sprint (1200m) last August, missed the start the previous Saturday and was last before motoring home for third over 1200m in 0-70 grade.
Delago Lad ($20) impressed under the guidance of apprentice Lek Maloney to finish second in the weight-for-age, while Kym Healy’s $5.50 contender Pompeii Empire (Le Blanc) – a last start winner – finished strongly from the rear for third.
Halter’s $3.70 favourite Convincebility (Vigar) travelled wide throughout, so to finish fourth was commendable when considering the Pioneer Sprint.
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