The wily combination of trainer Kerry Petrick and jockey Paul Denton started the year in style with a winning double at Alice Springs on Saturday.
Petrick and Denton, who celebrated their first win in Darwin in 1997, when Petrick won her first race, are showing no signs of slowing down with Throw At Da Stumps ($1.45) and Hellvit ($19) getting the cash.
It proved a cruisy day for the pair, who have won a host of big races in the NT, as Throw At Da Stumps won the 1000m feature (BM76) by 3.8 lengths, with Hellvit saluting in a 1000m maiden by 3.2 lengths.
Both horses hit the front early and never looked like losing.
Throw At Da Stumps, the son of Rich Enuff, was purchased for $33,000 at the Alice Springs Tried Horse Sale last April during Cup Carnival.
The former Victorian galloper made his NT debut in Darwin, where he posted back-to-back wins in June and July.
Following a spell, the five-year-old returned in November and narrowly upset Paul Gardner’s Red Wraith over 1000m (BM76) before Terry Gillett’s Great Buy got his number in open company (1200m) in December.
Throw At Da Stumps (25: 7-5-3), one to watch during the forthcoming Alice Springs Cup Carnival, dominated after scooting three lengths clear at the 600m in the five-horse field.
Turning for home and with 350m to go, Denton constantly peaked over his shoulder, and with the opposition labouring, he won effortlessly from Gillett’s Supreme Attraction ($3.70) and Russell Bell’s Garrucha ($8).
Supreme Attraction (62.5kg), the 2023 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) winner, was returning from a spell and despite the efforts of Gillett’s daughter Dakota, a rising apprentice, spotting Throw At Da Stumps 4.5kg and five lengths at the home turn was mission impossible.
Hellvit, formerly trained by Kim Waugh at Wyong, disappointed in his first two Alice starts in December, but the four-year-old gelding certainly flipped the script after skipping five lengths clear at the 600m.
The addition of blinkers seemed to do the trick for the son of Hellbent, who eventually left Ray Viney’s Bodmin Boy ($12) and Lisa Whittle’s Jackset ($5) in his wake.
Meanwhile, Gillett and apprentice Ianish Luximon also claimed a winning double with Valley Prince ($4.60) over 1200m (0-64) and Family Ties ($2.60) over 1100m (BM54).
Valley Prince, a former NT Guineas winner at Pioneer Park, hadn’t raced since September, but with eight wins and 10 minor placings from 31 Red Centre starts, the six-year-old gelding by Dissident was a serious contender in the five-horse field.
Full of beans in the barrier, Valley Prince, as well as Leanne Gillett’s Ornamental Lady ($1.55) and Greg Connor’s Radio Room, were content to allow Gardner’s Gunnerside and Leanne Gillett’s Esahi to set the early pace.
Esashi ($17) went for broke and was three lengths clear at the 400m before Valley Prince and Ornamental Lady found their mojo and with 200m to go, it proved a battle royale.
Valley Prince, sandwiched between his two rivals, got there in the end by half a length from Ornamental Lady, who had every chance, with the courageous Esahi hanging on for third.
Not only was it a win for Terry Gillett over wife Leanne, but Dakota partnered Ornamental Lady.
Family Ties, a four-year-old gelding by Zebedee, made it two wins from his past three starts when he hit the front early and continued to extend his lead before blitzing Dan Morgan’s Angelluccis ($13) and Viney’s Eastside Diamond ($12) by 4.1 lengths.
In November, Family Ties won in similar fashion by 5.5 lengths over 1100m (BM54) and looked like repeating the dose in December over 1100m (0-58) before he was pipped at the post and finished third by 0.2 lengths.
The bookies cheered when Connor’s six-year-old gelding Vitesse Breeze ($26) swooped late to seal victory by a nose from Whittle’s Prophesier ($5) over 1200m (0-58).
Vitesse Breeze had only achieved one win from 32 starts – that was in a 1600m maiden at Pakenham for previous trainers David and Coral Feek (Mornington) – and was having its first ever 1200m start.
Easily four lengths adrift of the pack at the 1000m in the seven-horse field, the son of Bullet Train was never a consideration as Prophesier, Bold Tropic, and Omoplata led the way for a major portion of the race.
Sticking to the fence, Vitesse Breeze – with Casey Hunter in the saddle – headed for the centre of the track once turning for home and sizzled over the concluding 200m to catch the unlucky Prophesier, with Whittle’s Omoplata ($7) a further 2.6 lengths away in third place.
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