He has won the Pioneer Sprint for the past two years with Smuggling, but trainer Darwin trainer Phil Cole could have an Alice Springs Cup contender on his hands after Saccharo won the $40,000 Chief Ministers Cup (1600m) on Saturday.
It was the feature race on Day 3 of the Alice Spring Turf Club’s Cup Carnival.
The seven-year-old gelding, a handy performer in 27 starts in Victoria, made it six wins from 14 starts for Cole when he saluted on his Red Centre debut after edging out Will Savage’s Fantasy Eagle (Ianish Luximon) and Terry Gillett’s Bench Press (Stan Tsaikos) in an exciting three-way finish.
Although the son of Magnus has yet to race beyond 1700m, it seems certain he will start in the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) next Sunday.
The seven-year-old gelding was placed in his first two starts in the Top End last June before two failures during the Darwin Cup Carnival in July, but he recovered to win over 1600m in open company on Darwin Cup Day and finished second in the Katherine Cup (1700m).
He then had a successful campaign in outback Queensland where he won the Birdsville Cup (1600m) and Bedourie Cup (1600m), but since returning to action in January following a spell he has seemingly found an extra gear.
In open company at Fannie Bay, Saccharo was fourth over 1300m before saluting over 1200m and 1300m, and although it was his first Alice start, he was the $2.60 favourite for the Chief Ministers Cup (WFA).
Saccharo settled fifth along the back straight as runaway trio Bench Press, Nicole Irwin’s Starouz (Sonja Wiseman) and Dick Leech’s Lunch Session (Jade Hampson) set the early pace.
Down the side at the 500m, Saccharo (fourth) was closing as fifth-placed Fantasy Eagle ($26), who has suddenly struck form, left the rails and set sail for Bench Press ($8) after Starouz and Lunch Session hit the wall.
Turning for home at the 350m mark, Saccharo was in top gear after being forced four wide in his quest to circle the leaders and was the biggest threat to Bench Press, who never left the fence, and Fantasy Eagle.
Bench Press, who had gone off the boil after making a sensational start to his Alice Springs career, wouldn’t yield and Fantasy Eagle – wedged between his rivals – wasn’t going away as Saccharo bridged the gap.
With 100m to go, Saccharo pounced to win by 0.72 lengths with Fantasy Eagle pipping Bench Press by the bearest of margins for second.
Kym Healy’s Magnossiva (Jessie Philpot) was easily 15 lengths behind the leaders at the 800m before finishing fourth, but he was six lengths behind Bench Press, while the other backmarkers from an Alice Springs Cup perspective failed to impress.
The in-form Leech and apprentice Hampson started the day on a winning not with Madam Mischief ($7) finishing strongly in the final 200m to seal victory over 1100m (0-70).
With Hampson, who won a leg of the National Apprentice Race Series at Sandown on Wednesday, able to claim (54kg) the five-year-old Madam Mischief made it three wins from her past six starts.
Healy’s I’m A Legend (Wiseman) and Barry Cooke’s Beatbox (Casey Hunter) were late scratchings, Russell Bell’s Delago Lad (Lek Maloney) broke through the gates prior to the start, Greg Connor’s Intercontinental (Philpot) had his bridle replaced at the 11th hour, and Gary Clarke’s Great Diviner (Tsaikos) and Delago Lad missed the start.
After the disruptions, Intercontinental led and held sway turning for home before Cole’s Sedona (Davis) and Madam Mischief – the daughter of Turffontein – made their moves with Leech’s mare kicking away to seal victory by 1.72 lengths from Sedona ($21) with Great Diviner ($7.50) catching the eye by pipping Intercontinental for third.
Clarke’s $4 favourite Asahi Bearing (Jarrod Todd), who rolled Madam Mischief by four lengths over 1000m (0-64) on March 25 after dictating out in front, couldn’t find the lead and had to be content for second on the rails behind Intercontinental before fading to finish fifth.
A further delay in the second race was unexpected, but the win by Russell Bell’s three-year-old gelding Garrucha (Dan Morgan) over 1100m (BM66) wasn’t unexpected.
Garrucha ($1.90 fav) was having just his sixth start after being placed in Bendigo and Donald maidens last year before debuting in the Red Centre for a third in an 1100m maiden which was followed by a win in a 1200m maiden and a fifth over 1000m (0-62).
The son of Street Boss won that maiden on March 25 by seven lengths, but after finding his last start rivals a tad too strong a fortnight ago he was going to be hard to beat against his own age group whose form was medicore at best.
The field was reduced to five when Leanne Gillett’s Justify This (Tsaikos) was scratched following vet’s advice after sitting down and getting wedged in the barriers.
Garrucha, who pinged from the inside gate, Savage’s Paketta (Luximon) and Patrick Johnston’s Gotta Beat (Hampson) jumped well and once settling down Garrucha had Paketta ($15) for company when Gotta Beat ($3.70) started to lose ground.
It was a procession from the 600m when Garrucha kicked away and once turning for home he went on to win comfortably by 4.4 lengths with Gotta Beat recovering to nail Paketta for second.
After making an impact when he first arrived in the Red Centre, the Kevin Lamprecht-trained Rupert’s Delight (Luximon) was a last start fifth over 1200m (0-58) a fortnight ago.
However, the four-year-old gelding was only 2.2 lengths behind the winner and on Saturday he bounced back to make it two wins from six starts at Pioneer Park with a withering burst in the home straight to prevail over 1100m (0-58).
Rupert’s Delight ($5.50), the son of Winning Rupert, settled nicely after a host runners in the 12-horse field battled for the lead before Rene Taylor’s Golden Ripples (Todd) assumed the lead from Trevor Montgomerie’s A Thousand Degrees (Paul Denton) and Cole’s $3.70 favourite Colhoun (Davis).
Turning for home and with 350m to go, it was A Thousand Degrees ($21) who kicked away with what appeared to be a winning break before Rupert’s Delight, fourth at the final bend, stormed home to overtake a tiring leader to win narrowly by 0.26 lengths.
A Thousand Degrees, clearly back to his best, was desperately unlucky, but was able to hang on for second place from Nicole Irwin’s fast-finishing $5.50 chance Lastar (Dakota-Lee Gillett), a last start winner, who was sixth and well adrift with 400m to go.
Luximon and Rupert’s Delight first teamed up for three starts late last year when the former Victorian galloper finished third in a 1200m maiden before saluting in an 1100m maiden and a second over 1400m (Class 2).
He returned from a spell to finish second over 1100m (Class 2) on March 19 before that hiccup two weeks ago and for Luximon it meant three wins for the day after also partnering Savatoxl and Equal Balance.
Colhoun, who dipped at the start after jumping from the outside gate, travelled three wide when battling Golden Ripples and A Thousand Degrees for the early lead and with 60kg it came as no surprise to him finish ninth.
Alice Springs Race 8 Replay – Saccharo (1st)
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