Jockey Stan Tsaikos had a day out in Alice Springs on Sunday with four wins on the five-event program.
It ended a dry spell in the Red Centre for the 45-year-old after landing his last winner there in late July.
After getting Paul Gardner’s +750 hope Quick Return home in the first, Tsaikos was unplaced on +1200 chance Lucky Dog for Darwin trainer Chris Pollard.
From that point, ‘Stan the Man’ dominated aboard Leanne Gillett’s +600 fancy Typically Brazen, Terry Gillett’s +170 favourite Great Buy, and Will Savage’s +120 elect Sienna’s Choice.
Quick Return, whom Gardner acquired from SA trainer Heather Lehmann following the Darwin Cup Carnival, lined up against BM54 class over 1200m on Sunday and made it three straight wins.
Lumping 62kg and jumping from the outside gate (10), Quick Return wasn’t far behind the leaders, but by the 600m he was third and had started to make ground on the leader, Talent Quest.
Turning for home at the 350m, Quick Return hit the front to win comfortably by two lengths from backmarkers Omoplata and Celine from the Lisa Whittle and Ray Viney stables, respectively.
Alice Springs R1 replay – Quick Return – T: Paul Gardner
In her first NT start, Typically Brazen settled behind the front-runners before making her move at the 500m with Drawn To Win leading the way from Quanapirri Bay and Paketta.
In the home straight, Typically Brazen – winless after 21 Victorian starts – had momentum and kicked clear at the 200m to win the 1100m maiden by 5.5 lengths from Whittle’s +260 favourite Drawn To Win and Savage’s Paketta.
Alice Springs R3 replay – Typically Brazen – T: Leanne Gillett
The feature race – a BM76 over 1100m – had five runners, but it wasn’t going to be easy for Great Buy against Irememberwhen, Supreme Times and Rock Of Kryptonite.
Yet again, Tsaikos was content to take a sit, with Great Buy’s stablemate Tintern Power not far behind.
When the pressure mounted down the side, Great Buy split Rock Of Kryptonite, who held the fence, and Supreme Times, with Irememberwhen holding sway out in front.
Rock Of Kryptonite and Great Buy skipped away at the top of the straight as Irememberwhen and Supreme Times tired, and Tintern Power started winding up.
Great Buy looked impressive passing the 200m before saluting by 2.5 lengths from Tintern Power, who finished with zest, while Viney’s Rock Of Kryptonite was third.
For Great Buy, it was his first win in six Alice starts since arriving from NSW, and he was returning after a last-start ninth in April’s Pioneer Sprint.
Tintern Power was making his NT debut after having just one start in NSW since September last year.
Alice Springs R4 replay – Great Buy – T: Terry Gillett
Tsiakos is renowned for getting horses home after setting the early tempo, but he secured his fourth win of the day on Sienna’s Choice after electing to once again camp behind the leaders.
Sitting fifth in the 1600m race at 0-58 level, Sienna’s Choice made her move exiting the back straight and was third at the 500m as Greg Connor’s backmarker Vitesse Breeze started to circle the field.
Pollard’s Eight Rubies, who led from the outset, had second-placed Huckleberry covered nearing the home turn, but Sienna’s Choice and Vitesse Breeze moved up ominously at the 200m.
Vitesse Breeze looked the winner before Sienna’s Choice pounced on his inside to get home by half a length, with Eight Rubies, who never left the fence, not far away in third place.
Sienna’s Choice, who rattled home to run third over 1400m seven days ago, arrived from Queensland and debuted in the Alice in February before finally managing a win at the 14th attempt.
Mighty Murt returned from a six-month hiatus last weekend and was fifth over 1000m, but on Sunday he posted his first win since saluting in Darwin in July last year.
Starting at $11 with Paul Denton on board, Whittle’s Mighty Murt was among the early pacesetters at the start, along the back straight and down the side before he and Ginger Creek swamped the leader, Intercontinental, at the 500m.
Viney’s Strike Eagle then entered the fray out wide from the back, and he and Mighty Murt then fought it out with the latter holding on by 0.2 of a length in an exciting finish.
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