After 10 wins on his first visit to Alice Springs last year, Port Augusta trainer Trevor Montgomerie has once again enjoyed his time in the Red Centre despite posting just three wins.
Festival Of Light, an eight-year-old gelding, got the cash over 1400m (BM76) on February 18 with Casey Hunter on board, while four-year-old mare Fluffy Bunny Feet made it back to wins over 1100m on March 19 (Class 2) and April 1 (0-58) with apprentice Dakota-Lee Gillett in the saddle.
With two days of the five-day Alice Springs Turf Club’s Cup Carnival remaining, Montgomerie is hoping for success on Friday and Sunday.
He won’t have a runner in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) or Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on the weekend, but Fluffy Bunny Feet is some hope in the $30,000 Scope Building Queen Of The Desert Handicap (1200m) on Friday.
The Queen Of The Desert (0-76), the main race on Friday, is the Carnival feature race for the fillies and mares with Montgomerie seeking a repeat after he trained Addictions to victory last year.
After her two wins at Pioneer Park following a first up sixth over 1000m (0-58), Fluffy Buffy Feet (Gillett) – the daughter of Magnus – was a last start second behind Real Valentia over 1100m (0-62).
Leading Darwin rider Sonja Wiseman will partner the mare on Friday.
“She’s done everything right and she doesn’t have to lead, so we just thought we’ll get Sonja on her for a bit of experience and just sit off the pace,” Montgomerie said on Wednesday.
“I think she’ll be right into it, she should be sitting in the first four.
“The way she fought on when she won her second race up here – if she can do that again I think she’ll be very hard to beat.
“There will be plenty of pace, which will suit us – Gary Clarke’s Asahi Bearing is a threat and Dick Leech’s horse Madam Mischief gets home nice.”
Zoumist, Magnolia Rose, Design Artist, Tycoons Dior and Valenciano, who finished third in the race last year, should also prove competitive.
Oddsock, who was involved in a dramatic incident last Saturday when she reared and dislodged jockey Casey Hunter before breaking through the rear of the gates at the 1400m and running in the opposite direction after the field had jumped, has recovered and is backing up on Friday.
The five-year-old mare, who hadn’t been restrained, pulled up on the outside fence at the top of the home straight and fortuitously there was no further incident as the field went by.
“It was very disappointing what happened, she deserved to be in that race and perhaps she could have won, but things didn’t work out, that’s racing,” Montgomerie said.
“She was lucky she didn’t hit the fence, she only lost a bit of skin off the top of her head where the bridle goes.
“It could have been very nasty because she ran back towards the other horses.
“Someone jumped out and that sort of turned her, which was good.
“No one got hurt and the horses never got hurt, so that’s the main thing.”
Montgomerie refuses to make excuses for his team and plans to return once again next year.
“I’ve still enjoyed myself and I knew I wouldn’t come back and do what I did last year,” he said.
“I just thought if I could have three or four winners and get one over the Carnival, then I’d be happy.
“Probably disappointed in a few rides, anyway we battle on and we’ll be back.”
Tanner, fourth in the Pioneer Sprint last year, Zoutons and Festival Of Light haven’t been at their best, but all three will feature on Sunday.
“Tanner has been crook for a while, he’s had viruses,” Montgomerie said.
“I rang the owner this morning to confirm that he’ll run on Sunday and if he goes alright we’ll go to Tennant Creek next month.
“If he doesn’t, he’ll go to the paddock until November.
“When he ran second first up here in Alice I was very happy, I thought I had him back and then the next two starts he did nothing.
“I was going to go to the Cup with Festival Of Light.
“When he won, I thought this is it, I’ll have a run in the Cup because we were going to try him over the 2000m.
“He had a bad virus and I got the vet from Adelaide to come up and we scoped him and he said his right lung was full of stuff, so we treated him, but he lost a bit of weight and we had to forget about the Cup.
“I’ll tell you something, I’ve never been so disappointed in my life.
“Zoutons will be very hard to beat in that 1000m (0-58), I think he has been one of the most unluckiest horses I’ve brought up here.
“He can gallop, but he’s had an abyss and bad draws, so I haven’t had much luck.
“He hasn’t disgraced himself, always running in the first four.
“I also brought a couple of horses up here that I shouldn’t have.
“I was very disappointed in Well Known, he never fired at all and he was half handy.
“I think I’ll just come back up with about six next year and not be too greedy, and just enjoy it.”
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