Andrew O’Toole’s Sunday best at Alice Springs (04/10)

Kerry Petrick, last season’s leading Red Centre trainer and the top trainer in the NT with some 65 wins in the 2025/26 period, has another strong contingent lining up at Ladbrokes Pioneer Park today and is particularly well represented in the day’s feature, the $28,000 Derby Day 31st October Handicap, with no fewer than three of the five acceptors.

Last-start winners Princess Pancakes and Mummsie are two of her team, but I fancy her third contender, Matron Samsing, to return to winning form over her favoured 1600m.

The St Pat’s Cup winner from March this year, Matron Samsing failed to fire when tried during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival in the Top End, but a third and a win at Kununurra in late August was far more like it. She returned home to Alice Springs and in her only start, went down narrowly to Princess Pancakes over 1400m on 20 September, ample evidence that she is close to another winning turn and especially back at this trip, at which she has won three times from just seven attempts.

Stan Tsaikos, who was aboard Matron Samsing in her two starts in the Top End and has yet to win a race on the 5yo daughter of Hellbent, has another opportunity today to put the record straight and judged on her last-start runner-up effort, she promises to be very hard to beat, with the five-horse field a distinct advantage as she tends to race off the pace. From the inside gate, Tsaikos should be able to get a cosy run in transit before unleashing her powerful late finish.

Mummsie, who took an age to win a race but has now won two in succession, must again be hard to head off. She has led throughout at her last two starts and won impressively on both occasions, by 4.8 lengths and 5.3 lengths on 12 September and then again eight days later. The 1600m might find her out though – she has had 13 starts at the distance for four seconds – but saying that, she is getting stronger all the time and as a 5yo daughter of Casino Prince, may now be mature enough to handle the trip.

Princess Pancakes has been a fine performer for the Petrick stable, and her last-start winning effort on 20 September was first-class. Since joining the stable almost three years ago, she has collected no less than seven wins and 12 minor placings, and her total stake earnings to date are an impressive $220,550. Danielle Hirini, who was aboard last time, will team up again with the daughter of Rebel Dane, and although only a one-time winner from 17 starts at the trip, she will no doubt give a good account of herself.

Flying Start, the topweight for the potent combination of trainer Greg Connor and rider Paul Denton, must always be respected. The winner of eight of his 53 starts, the former good 3yo is still racing well at eight years of age, and Denton gets on very well with the son of Flying Artie. He is twice a winner over this distance although is adept at anything from 1100m-1600m. He cannot be left out of calculations.

Grinzinger Lass completes the five-horse line-up and has been a little below her best lately. That said, she was only 2.6 lengths behind Princess Pancakes when fifth of six runners last time, so was certainly not disgraced. Jess Booth claims 2kg here and she will therefore get in very well with just a featherweight of 53kg to carry from barrier two. She could well surprise.

Former AS Cup winning jockey Scott Westover, who also had success with a trainer’s license a few years back, returns to the training ranks today with three runners and all look decent chances in their respective events.

He will be represented by Bon’s A Lad in the day’s opener, the Ladbrokes Tote Win + 10% Handicap (1200m) and will then saddle up You’resogolden in the second on the card, the Book Now Red Centre Racing Awards 10th October Handicap (1100m). His final runner on the programme will be in the third, the Happy Birthday George Cooke Handicap (1100m), when Dyer will look to go back-to-back after winning for Michael Hickmott at the 20 September fixture.

The weather in the Red Centre this week has been mainly fine and sunny, with the chance of a shower on Friday. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning. The temperature is forecast to reach a lovely 31 degrees during the day, and it will be 14 degrees overnight. There is just a 20% chance of any rain.

The first race on the five-race card gets underway at the early afternoon time of 12.56pm (NT time), which is 2.26pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 3.15pm (NT time), or 4.45pm in New South Wales and Victoria, bearing in mind the clocks changed earlier this morning so there is now an hour and a half between the NT and the eastern seaboard.

BEST BETS

R1 # 5 LEAN ON ME
Handy galloper who won three starts back over 1100m before stepping up in trip to 1200m for a third to Stella Bystarlight. Last time out, over 1400m, chased home stablemate Mummsie, beaten over five lengths. Twice a winner over this 1200m journey and this looks a winnable affair. Stan Tsaikos, who won on the horse on 28 August, goes back on and the daughter of Lean Mean Machine should be hard to head off in the opener.

R2 # 1 YULE POINT
Promising youngster who competed well in three starts during the Darwin Cup Carnival. Broke his maiden beating Meet Me At The Bar, who has won twice since, before backing that up with a win against 3yo company on 11 July. Arguably should have won when second again at his last start behind Texture, who went on to win twice more in the last week of the Carnival. Has had a freshen-up and might just have a class edge on his rivals here.

R3 # 5 GOLDEN TUNES
Has won at his only three starts in the Red Centre by a combined margin of 28.3 lengths! Jumps, leads and wins is the 4yo’s motto, and Jess Booth, who rode last time when he won by six lengths against three rivals on 12 September, is aboard again. Up in grade here to a 0-70 but has been mightily impressive in his only runs in the Alice and can continued on his winning way over this 1100m.

SELECTIONS

RACE 1 – 5, 3, 1, 2
RACE 2 – 1, 6, 7, 2
RACE 3 – 5, 1, 10, 4
RACE 4 – 1, 4, 5, 6
RACE 5 – 3, 4, 2, 1

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