Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Alice Springs (12/09)

The first of two meetings in the Red Centre during the month of September takes place at Ladbrokes Pioneer Park today and a five-race card awaits us. With just six riders in attendance at the fixture, two scratchings will be required on the day, one in the third and the other in the fifth, and some 28 horses, all going well, should compete at the meeting.

The main race on the card is the $25,800 Book Now Red Centre Racing Awards 10th October Handicap, a Benchmark 76 event over 1200m. A field of seven has been assembled but Verbosity, with no rider declared, is likely to be withdrawn at scratching time.

Greg Connor is well represented with three runners, but I fancy Kerry Petrick to take out the event with topweight Bahama Bay, who is looking to go back-to-back after winning the Cummins Cup over 1400m at the last meeting on the course on 28 August.

Bahama Bay has been a great money-spinner for Petrick and the 7yo’s connections since being purchased from the Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale held in Alice Springs in early May 2025. He has won ten of his 36 starts all told, and with nine placings as well, has stakes of close on $280,000. He was not at his best during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival but since returning to his home track, he finished fourth in early August before a dominant win against good company in the Average Benchmark 66 event on Truckies Day (28 August).

Stan Tsaikos gave him a lovely ride that day and carrying 62.5kg, he proved too strong for Flying Start, who had 5kg less, and Grinzinger Lass, who carried a featherweight of 54.5kg. He has a kilo less to carry this time and with Tsaikos again engaged for the ride, he looks very hard to beat from barrier five. The drop back in distance will be no issue – he has had 19 starts over 1200m for five wins, three seconds and two thirds – and this line-up does not appear to be any stronger than the one he downed a couple of weeks ago.

Brat, who is also coming off a last-start win in the Ladbrokes Winter Series Final (1200m) at the same meeting, should give Bahama Bay most opposition. Carrol Hunter has done a great job with the 8yo son of Reward For Effort since taking over his training from Terry Gillett following the AS Cup Carnival in April/May this year.

Since assuming the training reins, Hunter has sent Brat out on four occasions for three wins and a fifth, and his effort to win last time out was first-class. Billy Cray took the mount on that occasion and guided the gelding to a two-length victory from River Frost and Stella Bystarlight, and he was timed for the trip in 1:10.26, a decent gallop in a Benchmark 66.

He seldom goes a bad race and drawn just inside Bahama Bay, he should be prominent for a long way.

Daniher, who did such a good job for Kevin Lamprecht during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival when winning twice and being placed second to Verbosity on Palmerston Sprint Day, is stepping up in grade for this assignment but his best form would certainly be good enough to figure in the finish.

The son of Fighting Sun is lightly-raced for a 7yo, with just 30 starts under his belt, but he has put together six wins, five seconds and eight thirds and is worthy of a place in this line-up. Ianish Luximon, who rides plenty of trackwork for Lamprecht, has been engaged for the mount and has twice been a winner aboard Daniher. A bold showing here would come as no surprise.

The Connor trio must all be respected, with Luskin Hero probably the best of them. He was a winner two starts back, beating Altar Boy who was an impressive winner at Kalgoorlie last Sunday. He has only had the one start since and was a slightly disappointing fifth behind Lucky Fortuna and company over this trip in an open company contest on 8 August, but with a freshen up he could well recapture his best here.

Boy Big is first-up since Anzac Day and although yet to win from seven attempts in a fresh state, has finished third on three occasions. The 9yo often bobs up when least expected and Jess Booth, with her 2kg claim, will be an advantage.

Delago Lad has failed to show his best form this campaign but the former Pioneer Sprint placegetter, another 9yo, still possesses his share of ability and is another who could run into a place.

The weather in the Red Centre this week has been mainly fine but a cooler snap came through in the middle of the week, with the odd shower mixed in. However, the weather and temperature improved later in the week. The official forecast for today reads: Mostly sunny. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach 30 degrees during the day, and it will be 12 degrees overnight. There is just a 5% chance of any rain.

The first race on the five-race card gets underway at 2.26pm (NT time), which is 2.56pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.52pm (NT time), or 5.22pm in New South Wales and Victoria.

BEST BETS

R1 # 1 THROW AT DA STUMPS
Grand old galloper who has won 13 races during his 63-start career. A five-time winner at Pioneer Park, he is back to a 0-58 here and although his latest efforts have been below his best, he only has to rediscover a fraction of his best form to be very hard to beat here. Carries the topweight of 60.5kg, but Stan Tsaikos takes the mount and this field looks well within his scope. A seven-time winner at this trip of 1200m, he should give his five rivals plenty to worry about.

R4 # 1 GOLDEN TUNES
Has bolted in at his only two starts in the Red Centre by a combined 22.3 lengths! A jump and run type, James Carroll’s 4yo son of Exceedance could not have been more impressive on both occasions and although he has not started since 26 July, should be too fast for his opposition over 1000m. Jess Booth takes 2kg off his back so with just 58kg, he should be winning again in this 0-64 contest.

R5 # 1 LAWS WARS
Raced against some good 3yo company in Darwin but an untimely setback meant he had just three starts in the Top End for a win over subsequent Guineas runner-up Rivers Of Babylon, a second behind the smart Hammurabi and a third to subsequent Derby third placegetter Garrix. Although first-up here for over two months, he has a class edge on his rivals and the 1400m should be right up his alley. Very hard to beat.

SELECTIONS

RACE 1 – 1, 2, 3, 6
RACE 2 – 3, 1, 5, 2
RACE 3 – 1, 4, 6, 2
RACE 4 – 1, 2, 5, 3
RACE 5 – 1, 4, 6, 2

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