Christmas came early for top Darwin jockey Jarrod Todd when he landed four winners during the final Alice Springs meeting of the year on Sunday.
Todd, who missed a recent Top End meeting through suspension, cleaned up on the six-event program at Pioneer Park in one of his rare trips to the Red Centre when he won four straight on Dick Leech’s Lethal Encounter ($5), Terry Gillett’s Supreme Times ($11) and City Jet ($7.50), and Leech’s Kerioth ($5.50).
Lethal Encounter gave the leaders a massive start after once again missing the jump before producing an exhilarating finish in the home straight to pip Kevin Lamprecht’s $2.70 favourite Rupert’s Delight (Ianish Luximon) right on the line over 1400m (Class 2).
Paul Gardner’s $9 hope Hard Work Rewards (Dakota-Lee Gillett) missed the start as well, but not as badly, before rallying late to secure third place.
Running sixth at the 600m in the feature race of the day – a highly competitive open handicap over 1200m – Supreme Times, a last-start third over 1400m (BM76), made his move down the side and headed to the outside once turning for home.
As expected, it was on for young and old with 300m to go with five horses spread across the track – Kerry Petrick’s Our Luca (Phillip Crich) was hugging the rails and had Lisa Whittle’s Cyclonite (Paul Denton), Greg Connor’s Flying Start (Jessie Philpot), Gardner’s Roughly (Lek Maloney) and Supreme Times for company.
Supreme Times and Roughly ($7) edged clear in the closing stages with Todd’s mount getting home by a head, with $11 chance Supreme Attraction (Gillett) coming from the clouds to finish third.
Once again Todd timed his run to perfection, and for Supreme Times to overcome the likes of Roughly, Flying Start, Our Luca, Bench Press and Bar Gem was a major coup.
Alice Springs R3 replay | 18/12/22 | Supreme Times (1st)
City Jet (0-58), a handy performer during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, and Kerioth (0-70), who was making his NT debut, both settled just off the pace and looked threatening before unwinding once rounding the final bend to win their respective race over 1100m.
Leanne Gillett’s $4.40 pop Esashi (Stan Tsaikos) and Whittle’s $10 fancy Envy Me (Denton) followed City Jet across the line, while Russell Bell’s $1.35 favourite Delago Lad (Crich), who had won four straight, and Jess Gleeson’s $41 contender Prairie Fire (Dan Morgan) filled the minor placings behind Kerioth.
“Yeah, it was a bit surprising, but in one way looking at it, it was a really good surprise,” Todd said when looking back at his four winners.
“I went down there thinking I had one nice ride, but I wasn’t too sure, first time on the track, if Kerioth would handle the track or not.
“On his Victorian form, I thought if he handled the track and got himself into a good spot he’d probably be the one if I was going to get a winner.
“All the other rides, without down-grading them, they were each way chances without getting too excited.
“They weren’t bad rides, but they weren’t great rides.
“You’re rapt to get a winner, let alone a double.
“To come away with four, it was just a great day.
“I just think that everything on the day worked out for every horse – couldn’t be happier.”
Lethal Encounter’s performance was extraordinary as his day looked over after his poor start, but even after making up ground during the race it seemed impossible he would catch Rupert’s Delight.
“Lethal Encounter, I rode it two weeks prior at Alice – first time I ever sat on the horse – and I got told he can be slow out and that was an understatement,” Todd said.
“That day he missed it probably by four lengths over 1200m and flew home, only got beaten by three-quarters of a length – he was probably a good thing beaten.
“So going on that I thought he was going to be a chance over 1400m, but obviously you win and lose races at the start and he literally just stood there again.
“I got permission for him to go in later so he wasn’t in there too long – he felt like he was going to jump, but when the gates opened he just stood there like a statue and he walked out and he was four lengths behind them.
“I wasn’t confident at all – despite his last run – because it’s very hard to win races when you give them a head-start.”
Alice Springs R2 replay | 18/12/22 | Lethal Encounter (1st)
Todd, who rode in Alice Springs for a short time once leaving Victoria a few years ago before settling in Darwin, doesn’t ride as often at Pioneer Park these days.
Like most Top End jockeys, Todd would make the two hour flight to ride in the Red Centre on a Saturday or Sunday – and that’s normally after riding at Darwin’s Fannie Bay on Saturday.
“Obviously, it’s well known I ride for the Clarkes and they’ve always got a big team, especially Carnival time,” Todd said.
“This time of year, we’ve still got mid to high 30s in work and there’s only really myself and one other track rider, and Gary (Clarke) comes in when he can – but we’ve got a really big team.
“Gary’s a pretty busy man – this time of year he goes out bush and prospects, and does a few things.
“I’m in a really good situation, I keep pretty busy in Darwin, but the opportunity came up in Alice and it was on a Sunday, which is my day off, and we could fly there and back in a day.
“Mr Leech rang me and said he had three chances, so I thought coming into the Christmas period where we don’t have as many meetings I’d jump at the chance and it worked out in my favour.”
Todd, the Top End’s champion jockey for the past three years, shares the lead with Sonja Wiseman, who is recovering from minor wrist surgery, with 15 winners in the premiership race for the 2022/23 season.
Wiseman (16) also leads the way in the Alice Springs premiership from Stan Tsaikos, who has won the title for the past two years, and Jessie Philpot with nine wins each.
“I actually went to Alice, it was last year, and it was a six-race card and I had six rides and I won five,” Todd added.
“Days like that are rare, I’ve been lucky, I’ve ridden four in Alice before and I’ve ridden four about three times in Darwin.”
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