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SENTrack: Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best bets at Alice Springs (08/02)
Andrew O’Toole • February 8th, 2025 12:00 pm
The weekly racing in the Red Centre continues today with a six-race card made up of some 36 acceptors. Unfortunately, Duty was scratched on Thursday from the day’s last event, reducing that race to just four runners, and overall the field sizes are a little on the light side this week. However, with the Carnival just around the corner, there is no doubt that the size and quality of the fields in the coming weeks will improve and it would pay to take plenty of notice of the upcoming fixtures with a view to the major meetings that take place from mid-March onwards.
The 0-58 1200m was divided at acceptance time, hence the six races, but from next week a half-dozen races will be programmed as a matter of course as the build-up to the Carnival hits full stride. As usual, there are a number of visiting riders making the trip to the Red Centre this week – Sonja Logan, who kicked home her 500th career winner here a week ago, in-form Raymond Vigar, Aaron Sweeney and Victorian apprentice Hannah Le Blanc will all be in attendance to bolster the riding ranks.
Race five on the card is the highest-graded event of the day, and the Ladbrokes Alice Springs Cup 6 April Handicap (1400m), although only a five-horse line-up, brings together some in-form runners as well as some Carnival favourites being put through their paces in readiness for the major events in a few weeks’ time.
Zesty Spice, from the stable of Paul Gardner and with Raymond Vigar again in the saddle, has really hit a purple patch of form this campaign. The 4yo son of Squamosa, teamed with Vigar, has won his last three outings on the sand and oil-based surface, each at 1400m, and he tackles the same trip again. He is backing up from his win here last week (2 February), but such is his consistency, he looks hard to beat again. He has been rolling along in front in his races and has been unable to be caught just lately, winning by a margin of three lengths or more on each occasion, and from barrier three, Vigar will again have designs on the lead.
He could well have company in front this time, as Terry Gillett’s Brat likes to go forward and he has 11 wins on the track – but none at this trip.
Brat’s stablemate Great Buy may be the one to give Zesty Spice most opposition. The 8yo is a quality performer, and his three runs back this campaign have been encouraging, especially his last-start effort when second to the progressive O’Tycoon over 1200m on 18 January. He is better suited at this distance of 1400m, at which he has won three times and been placed on five occasions from 18 starts, and with those three runs under his belt this preparation, he should be ready to put his best foot forward here. Logan takes the mount and even with 61.5kg – Zesty Spice will carry 56kg – he should make his presence felt.
Last year’s Alice Springs and Katherine Cup winner Venting is on target for another tilt at the biggest race in the Red Centre on 6 April, and his trainer Kerry Petrick is steadily increasing his distances. He finished at the tail first-up on 5 January over 1000m, then showed improvement when fourth behind O’Tycoon and Great Buy over 1200m last time out. Up to the 1400m here should bring him right into contention – he has two wins and two placings from six starts at the trip – and regular rider Paul Denton, who knows him so well, will do the steering.
Stablemate Dip Me Lid finished third here a week ago behind Miracoli over 1600m, and while the drop back to 1400m is not ideal, he could run into a place again. He is not getting any younger but is the winner of eight races and still possesses plenty of ability.
The weather in the Red Centre continues to be very hot, but there may be a cooler change coming soon. The official forecast reads: Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming east to south easterly 25 to 40 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. The temperature is forecast to reach 38 degrees during the day – it was in excess of 41 degrees last weekend – with an overnight low of 22 degrees, while there is just a 10% chance of any rain.
The first on the six-race card gets underway at the early time of 10.30pm (NT time), which is 12noon on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 1.22pm (NT time), or 2.52pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 No 2 TRAVANTIContinues to race consistently and drops in grade from a last-start fourth behind the in-form Delago Lad in a 0-64 1200m. This appears a good deal easier than that assignment, and won twice at this distance in this grade earlier in the campaign. Getting on in years now but looks the testing material in the opener.
R3 # 1 DELAGO LADAbsolutely flying this campaign, with a first-up second followed by three successive wins during December and January. Apprentice Lek Maloney has built up a great rapport with the Greg Connor-trained 7yo son of Delago Deluxe, and with his 2kg claim reducing the horse’s weight to 58.5kg, he looks like continuing on his winning way.
R6 No 3 VITESSE BREEZEWith the scratching earlier this week of topweight Duty, the race looks tailormade for Greg Connor’s consistent 7yo son of Bullet Train. Does not win out of turn but seldom goes a bad race either. Finished fourth and less than three lengths from Miracoli here a week ago over the same trip, and should get his chance to return to winning form at his 50th raceday start in the last on the card.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 2, 5, 1, 3RACE 2 – 1, 4, 3, 5RACE 3 – 1, 5, 2, 3RACE 4 – 8, 1, 6, 7RACE 5 – 4, 1, 3, 2RACE 6 – 3, 5, 2, 4
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