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Andrew O’Toole’s Sunday best bets at Alice Springs (14/09)
Andrew O’Toole • September 14th, 2025 12:00 pm
A quality six-race card awaits us at Ladbrokes Pioneer Park today, with 41 acceptors to face the judge, The 0-58 1200m was divided and produced two eight-horse fields, and will be the first two races on the programme which is timed to start at 12.21pm.
The meeting also heralds the return to race riding of Ianish Luximon, who has been on the sidelines for the past nine months. However, he will not be lacking on the score of fitness today, having been riding up to 20 horses a morning in trackwork for the past number of weeks.
The day’s feature is the fourth on the card, the Stuart’s Well Roadhouse Handicap for the Benchmark 76 sprinters over 1200m. Greg Connor, who has been in great form with his team for several weeks now, holds a strong hand with half the field engaged, while Lisa Whittle has a couple of leading contenders, Expert Witness and Super Sharp.
However, I am keen on Connor’s fresh runner Delago Lad to prove the testing material in a competitive eight-horse line-up.
A close-up third in the Pioneer Sprint behind Dakota Lee and Flying Yishu two starts back in early April, Delago Lad had his final start for the campaign when third on 20 April in an open 1100m. He was then spelled by his trainer and will resume today, a state he has won in twice from seven first-up attempts.
While the 1200m may be a question first-up, he has won five times track and distance, and been placed a further six times aver 1200m at Pioneer Park. He will have the services of expat Kiwi Danielle Hirini, who has formed a fine association with the Connor stable since returning to race riding only about six months ago.
Whittle’s Expert Witrness, who was back in the winner’s circle when last produced on 9 August, is a quality sprinter, having finished runner-up in a Pioneer Sprint when at his height. He has had a few issues - and trainers - in recent times but showed he retained plenty of ability with an all-the-way win last time out.
He was ridden by Sonja Logan on that occasion when downing Luskin Hero and Flying Start, but will have the services of Raymond Vigar, who knows him well, for this assignment. The barrier of seven will not make his job any easier, but he is very good on his day and rates highly here.
Altar Boy drops back in trip by 200m from his win in the Cummins Cup on 29 August but he was so impressive that day when scoring by two lengths from Hebel and Super Sharp. He is a previous winner at the trip and has been placed over 1200m on a further four occasions, and apprentice Dakota Gillett, who was aboard in the Cummins Cup, retains the mount. He will be finishing off strongly.
Boy Big rocketed home to score a dominant win in the Red Centre Winter Final (1200m) on 29 August and has been a superb performer for the Connor stable for years now. Lek Maloney rode last time and stays aboard here, and he adds to the quality of the field.
Flying Start disappointed last time but was second up and should be allowed another chance, while stablemate Luskin Hero has been in great form for a while now and cannot be left out. Super Sharp has been very consistent lately as well and his last-start third to Altar Boy was sound, while Kickatorp completes the line-up and has only finished out of the first three over 1200m twice from 11 attempts.
The weather in Alice Springs this week has been a bit mixed, with heavy rain earlier on but cleared to mostly sunny conditions later in the week. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach a comfortable 27 degrees during the day, but it will be just 4 overnight. There is 0% chance of any rainfall.
The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 12.21pm (NT time), which is 12.51pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 2.52pm(NT time), or 3.22pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 1 DELUSIONALDICTATORImproving with each run in the Territory and just touched off here a fortnight ago by Revolution Rising over this trip of 1200m. Was inclined to do a few things wrong on that occasion but will no doubt be improved for that effort and from a handy draw of two with Jess Booth to do the steering, he looks a huge chance to break through for his first Red Centre victory.
R2 # 5 TRAVANTIThird here behind Isolyfe and Arrogant Miss last time out and the extra 100m this time will be much more to his liking. Has won six times at the distance of 1200m and third-up in this he should be ready to put his best foot forward. Has drawn out a little which will not make his task any easier, but with just 54kg on his back and in not the strongest 0-58 contest, he should give a good account of himself for trainer Kevin Lamprecht.
R5 # 1 CHIEF WHITE SOCKHas had a little freshen up since finishing fourth behind Sunzou and company over 1100m at Katherine on 16 August. Back on his home track and back to his favoured 1000m, he has plenty in his favour as he attempts to win at Pioneer Park for the sixth time. In-form Hannah Le Blanc will be aboard and although he has the outside draw of six to overcome, he possesses plenty of gate speed and should either be in front or outside lead. His quality will take him a long way towards success in this.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 1, 4, 5, 7RACE 2 – 5, 3, 4, 1RACE 3 – 5, 4, 2, 1RACE 4 – 1, 4, 6, 7RACE 5 – 1, 2, 4, 6RACE 6 – 3, 2, 4, 1
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