Just like the weather, Dick Leech is running hot in Alice Springs.
The veteran NT trainer, operating stables in Darwin and Alice Springs, made it 13 wins at the past seven Pioneer Park meetings by landing a treble on Saturday.
Darwin jockey Jarrod Todd, who has also struck form in the Red Centre, rode a winning double for Leech aboard Early Crow ($2.70 fav) and Miracoli ($1.90 fav), while local rider Jessie Philpot was victorious on Madam Mischief ($3.80).
Leech debuted in Central Australia this season on December 4, but as from December 18 he has been roaring up the Alice Springs and Provincial trainer’s premiership standings and sits two wins behind leader Lisa Whittle (15).
Whittle, who has won multiple premierships, is the reigning champion trainer in the Red Centre, but after 25 years she only recently left Alice Springs and apart from Leech the likes of Greg Connor (11) and Paul Gardner (8) are currently in contention to become the leading trainer for the 2022/23 season.
With the Alice Springs Cup Carnival imminent, it all looks promising for Leech as Kerioth, Lethal Enocunter, Barani and Envenomate are last start winners.
Todd, the champion Top End and Country jockey for the past three years, made his Pioneer Park debut this season on December 4 and he has since saluted on 12 occasions – which included four wins on December 18.
Of Leech’s 13 wins, Todd – who won the 2022 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on Gary Clarke’s Count Of Essex – has been the pilot 10 times.
Todd, along with Philpot (12), trail runaway leader Sonja Wiseman (21) in the Alice Springs and Provincial jockey’s premiership, followed by Phillip Crich (11) and Stan Tsaikos (10), the champion jockey for the past two years.
Wiseman and Todd are certainly dominating in the NT with the former (22) leading the latter (19) in the Top End and Country jockey’s premiership.
Early Crow, a four-year-old gelding, was returning from an eight-week spell on Saturday after a last start eighth in Darwin, but was spectacular over 1100m (BM54) decimating his rivals by almost seven lengths.
Having not won since Melbourne Cup Day, Early Crow held sway in front with Trevor Montgomerie’s $3.50 hope Zoutons (Ianish Luximon), who ended up finishing second, before bursting clear in the home straight with Terry Gillett’s $12 chance City Jet (Dakota-Lee Gillett) coming third.
Alice Springs Race 2 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Early Crow | Jockey: Jarrod Todd | Trainer: Dick Leech
Madam Mischief, along with stablemate Superior Power (Todd) and Leah Walling-Denton’s Acres Midnight (Tsaikos), started well over 1000m (0-58) before the five-year-old mare and Acres Midnight ($21) battled it out for major honours.
In the end, it was a win for Leech (1.7 lengths) as Madam Mischief made it two wins from her past four starts, while Will Savage’s $6.50 fancy Speed Wheel (Luximon) finished strongly for third.
Alice Springs Race 4 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Madam Mischief | Jockey: Jessie Philpot | Trainer: Dick Leech
Rapidly improving five-year-old gelding Miracoli made it three straight wins with victory over 1600m (0-64) – skipping away turning for home after sharing the lead with Gardner’s $4.80 runner Fair Go (Wiseman), who held the fence, once turning into the back straight with 1200m to go.
Savage’s $10 prospect Mi Mijo (Luximon) and Leech’s $9 elect Feed The Monster (Crich) were never far away from the leading pair with the former getting to within 0.6 lengths of Miracoli and the latter five lengths away in third place.
Alice Springs Race 4 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Miracoli | Jockey: Jarrod Todd | Trainer: Dick Leech
Terry Gillett, the champion trainer for the 2020/21 season, also enjoyed a winning double with Supreme Times (Tsaikos), starting at $6.50, taking out the feature race for the sprinters over 1100m and Valley Prince ($4.20), with daughter Dakota-Lee in the saddle, getting home over 1400m (0-70).
Supreme Times jumped well and settled fifth behind Connor’s $6.50 contender Miles Prower (Lek Maloney), Gardner’s in-form $3 favourite with online bookmakers Roughly (Wiseman), Mark Nyhan’s $14 candidate Bat Pad (Paul Denton) and last start winner Our Luca (Crich), a $5.50 pick from the Kerry Petrick yard.
There were plenty of chances with 250m to go, but Supreme Times (55kg) swooped once finding a gap turning for home to overcome Roughly (61.5kg) by two lengths with Leech’s $8.50 chance Halgard (Todd) flashing home for third – Miles Prower and Gillett’s $13 hope Supreme Attraction (Gillett) were far from disgraced.
For Supreme Times, a seven-year-old gelding with an outstanding Pioneer Park CV, it was his second win from his past three starts and on each occasion Roughly finished second – although the 10-year-old mare was victorious two weeks ago over 1100m (BM76) with Gillett’s charger coming fourth.
Alice Springs Race 3 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Supreme Times | Jockey: Stan Tsaikos | Trainer: Terry Gillett
On January 21, Dakota-Lee Gillett guided Esashi home for her mum and trainer Leanne for the first time and on Saturday the 17-year-old – who represented the NT in the National Apprentice Race Series in Darwin last weekend – celebrated her first win for her dad with a fabulous ride.
Valley Prince, a five-year-old gelding, was unstoppable two years ago and also managed to win the NT Guineas (1600m), but hadn’t tasted victory since late March last year – he was close by though when fourth behind the handy Bench Press over 1200m (0-70) a month ago.
Jumping from gate nine, Valley Prince chewed up plenty of petrol before finally settling outside the leader Lunch Session (Todd), Leech’s $6.50 runner, with 900m to go and from that point it seemed like a two-horse race.
Turning for home and with 300m to go Lunch Session wouldn’t go away, but Valley Prince finally kicked clear at the 200m to seal victory with back-markers Dip Me Lid (Crich), Petrick’s $9.50 starter, and Zelring (Maloney), Connor’s $16 smokie, storming home to fill the minor placings.
Alice Springs Race 6 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Valley Prince | Jockey: Dakota-Lee Gillett | Trainer: Terry Gillett
Philpot had a great start to the season, but the well had run dry after just three wins in the Alice since November 5, so to also end the day with a winning double when she got the cash on Ray Viney’s $2.30 favourite Quizzle in a 1400m maiden was a fillip.
And the four-year-old gelding didn’t just win, he made mince meat of the opposition with six lengths to spare after at one stage sitting outside the leader Mr Nafplion (Todd), an $8.50 potential from the Montgomerie camp, in the back straight.
At the 600m, Quizzle, who had finished strongly for second in two maidens over 1000m and 1200m after arriving in town, accelerated and once straightening for home it was all over with Savage’s $3.90 elect Pariah Conviction (Luximon) and Gardner’s $20 outsider Final Jedi (Gillett) overtaking Mr Nafplion to fill the minor placings.
Alice Springs Race 5 Race Replay – 11/3/23
1st: Quizzle | Jockey: Jessie Philpot | Trainer: Ray Viney
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