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SENTrack: Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best bets at Alice Springs (18/01)
Andrew O’Toole • January 18th, 2025 12:00 pm
Another good card of six races awaits us in the Red Centre today, although with only eight riders declared for the fixture, there will need to be up to a half-dozen scratchings. That said, the Class 2 1200m was divided at acceptance time to give the additional race on the now six-event programme. Again at early start will be the order of the day – 10.34am NT Time – in an attempt to beat the worst of the 39 degree heat forecast for the Alice.
The day’s feature is the opening event, the $24,500 Ladbrokes Alice Springs Cup 6 April Handicap, an open sprint over 1200m. A field of six has been assembled with leading trainer Terry Gillett having half the field – topweight Great Buy, hat-trick chasing Brat and promising Vinnie’s Star, who I have put on top to break through for his first win in the Red Centre.
Fomerly trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Vinnie’s Spirit came to Alice Springs with a record of two wins, five seconds and two thirds from 15 starts. His wins came at Newcastle over 1400m in July 2022 and at Sandown (1600m) in January this year. He obviously relishes a longer trip than the 1200m he contests today, but such have been his two eye-catching seconds over 1000m behind Brat at the last two AS meetings, he looks well up to winning this. Like the majority of the field, he will carry the minimum of 55.5kg and although up against some decent opposition, he makes plenty of appeal in the first of the day.
O’Tycoon looks one of the main opponents to Vinnie’s Spirit. Purchased by his trainer Lisa Whittle at the Darwin Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale held at Darwin Cup time last year, he was formerly trained by Bjorn Baker at Warwick Farm. He was a four-time winner in New South Wales before making his way to the Territory, and it has taken him no time at all to acclimatise to the NT style of racing.
He sits up on the pace and is building a good association with his regular rider Sonja Wiseman, who has had four rides on the son of Written Tycoon for a narrow second behind Flying Yishu before two impressive winning efforts. His last-start fourth, after a short let-up, came on 5 January and he was only beaten 3.1 lengths on that occasion after getting back in the field over 1000m. He will give his rivals plenty to worry about here.
Great Buy, the second of the Gillett team, is third-up in this and should be ready for a bold showing. The 1200m should be up his alley at this stage of his preparation and Dakota Gillett’s 1.5kg apprentice claim brings him in nicely with just a kilo more than the remainder of the field. Once he strikes form he seldom goes a bad race, and he should certainly make his presence felt.
The third of the Gillett trio, Brat, has done nothing wrong of late, having won his last two starts over 1000m and he was also a winner four starts back over 1100m. He has a fine record over this trip too, having won seven times at 1200m and placed on a further five occasions. He has drawn the outside marble here but the good run down the back straight at AS will give him every chance to take up a spot either right on the pace or just behind it. If allowed his own rules, Brat is always a difficult conveyance to get past.
The other pair, Cubic Zirconia and Venting, are at opposite ends of the scale – the former is a 46 rater who has three wins to his credit, while Venting is the reigning Alice Springs Cup champion who will be having his second start this campaign. He showed a bit of cheek before weakening to finish at the rear behind Brat and company on 5 January, and while this is again on the short side for him, he is a class act and will be doing his best work late.
The weather in the Red Centre has been hot and sunny this past week, and there is no sign of that changing in the coming days. The official forecast reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then tending south easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach 39 degrees during the day, with an overnight low of a comfortable 17 degrees, while there is just a 0% chance of any rain.
The first on the six-race card gets underway at the mid-morning time of 10.34pm (NT time), which is 12.04pm 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 6 VINNIE’S SPIRITPlaced second twice from only two attempts this campaign, both times chasing home stablemate Brat over 1000m on 21 December and then again on 5 January. The additional 200m this time will be to the 5yo’s liking, having been placed previously at the trip. Even more ground would help the son of I Am Invincible, but he is well-placed to break through for his first win in the Red Centre in the day’s opener.
R2 # 1 FAITHFUL CHAMPIONSecond-up in the Red Centre after finishing fourth behind Hellivit and company here on 5 January. Appeared to have his chance, although the barrier draw this time much better and this field looks easier. Gets in well with the apprentice claim for Dakota Gillett and should be improved by that first-up effort, his first since finishing second at his only other NT start in Darwin on 19 October. Should be very hard to hold out here over this 1200m, at which he has won previously.
R6 # 5 BLACK ZOUSHas come back this preparation in excellent form, winning first-up over 1000m on 21 December before finishing a good third, running on, over 1200m on 5 January. The step up to this 1400m should suit nicely at this stage of his preparation, and he has a win and a third from just two previous starts over this distance. Paul Denton takes the mount for Kerry Petrick and that combination must always be considered. The one to beat.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 6, 4, 1, 2RACE 2 – 1, 2, 7, 3RACE 3 – 2, 1, 3, 4RACE 4 – 2, 3, 4, 1RACE 5 – 1, 3, 2, 4RACE 6 – 5, 3, 2, 10
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