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

Racing is back in the Red Centre today just six days after the most recent meeting held last Sunday, and following today’s fixture, there will be a three-week hiatus before one of the major off-season racedays in Alice Springs, Derby Day (31 October), which always attracts a good crowd to Ladbrokes Pioneer Park. A six-race card has been assembled today – the 0-64 1400m was divided – with 38 acceptors and seven riders in attendance.

The feature event is the $25,800 JJ’s Waste & Recycling Handicap (1200m) for the Benchmark 76 sprinters, and leading trainer Kerry Petrick is well represented once again, with three of the eight runners engaged. She has the topweight Bahama Bay, Princess Pancakes and the fresh runner Black Zous, and it is the latter that I believe can get the chocolates in the hands of visiting NSW rider Billy Cray.

Black Zous was in great form last campaign before being spelled following a last-start third placing here over this trip on 14 June. He did not join most of his stablemates on the truck north to the Darwin Cup Carnival, and instead had a break in the Red Centre and resumes here after a spell of almost four months. He put back-to-back wins together in early and late May, both over 1000m, and although up against some decent rivals here, his fresh record should take him a long way towards victory.

He has had nine first-up runs previously for three wins and three seconds, and even though first-up over 1200m, he will have the services of strong rider Cray to aid his chances. He has drawn the inside gate too, so look to him to be right on the pace and he can prove very difficult to get past.

Stablemate Bahama Bay, although a disappointing sixth last time out following two excellent winning efforts, should be allowed another chance here in the hands of Lek Maloney, whose 1.5kg apprentice claim will reduce the horse’s weight to 60kg. The winner of 11 races and just shy of $300,000 in stakemoney, Bahama Bay has won his two previous starts here in similar grade over 1400m and 1200m, and with six wins from 20 attempts at the trip, he can turn that last-start out-of-character run around. He has drawn out in barrier six but should come in one place when Real Valentia, as expected, comes out due to having no declared rider.

Limited Risk, trained by Kym Healy who is back in the Red Centre for a handful of weeks with a team, won here two starts back in early August, and last week chased Golden Tunes home, beaten over seven lengths into fourth. He should be improved for that effort and with no Golden Tunes this time, he can get some of it. He is lightly-raced for an 8yo but performed well during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival and is right up to winning this.

Luskin Hero, one of two in the event from the Greg Connor stable, beat Altar Boy and Square Cut three starts back and has since been a little below his best with a fifth and a last-start fourth to Bahama Bay and Boy Big. As a 9yo, he is in the veteran stage now but the winner of nine races is still competitive in these types of contests and is another with claims.

Princess Pancakes won two starts back before finishing at the tail behind Grinzinger Lass a week ago over 1600m, which was a disappointing effort. She will need to improve on that although she is one of those gallopers that often bobs up when least expected. Flying Yishu is always capable and has a decent fresh record, while Mougenot is another who is resuming from a break and could make his presence felt for the Ray Viney stable.

Petrick, not surprisingly, has some other good chances on the programme, including Hellivit in the day’s opener – he is dropping back from a 0-70 to a Benchmark 54 - while in the first of the two 0-64 contests over 1400m, the leading trainer has Tellez, Starton and Magarten engaged. In the second division, she has Mummsie, Matron Samsing and Verbosity as her representatives.

Healy’s Vatican Rose and Connor’s Startyourengine look the two leading hopes in the third, the Colemans Printing Maiden Plate, while Connor also has a strong chance in the Young Guns In the Marquee 31st October Handicap with Bonny Impact, who has been placed third at her last four starts and is nothing if not deserving of a win here.

The weather in the Red Centre this week has been mainly fine and sunny, although there was some rain forecast late in the week, with the possibility of a little more over the weekend. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny morning. Slight chance of a shower in the afternoon. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach 34 degrees during the day, and it will be 15 degrees overnight. There is a 20% chance of any rain.

The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.23pm (NT time), which is 2.53pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.31pm (NT time), or 6.01pm in New South Wales and Victoria.

BEST BETS

R1 # 1 HELLIVIT
Took on Red Centre gun sprinter Golden Tunes here last week in a 0-70 1100m and was beaten just under ten lengths into fifth. Drops back to a Benchmark 54 here and the ten-race winner, although yet to win over this trip of 1200m, appears to have found a winnable race. Drawn to be on the speed and back in this more suitable company, can return to winning ways in the day’s opener.

R3 # 5 VATICAN ROSE
Tried hard after sitting wide during the run behind Millionaire Lover and Yule Point last week, and as long as she has come through those exertions in good order, gets her chance to break through for a deserved win here. Was only beaten 1.5 lengths last time and back in maiden grade, from a middle draw of three, should be right on the pace and take plenty of beating.

R4 # 2 BONNY IMPACT
6yo mare just dying to win a race for trainer Greg Connor. Has not finished further back than fourth in her last eight starts and with four successive thirds to her name, is deserving of a winning turn. Up against just four rivals and over a trip (1000m) at which she has won twice previously, she should get all favours although drawn the outside gate. Looks very hard to beat in the hands of Paul Denton.

SELECTIONS

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

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