Racing in the NT.
The 20th running of the Cummins Cup, which coincides with the Trucking Hall of Fame celebrations held in the town, takes place at Ladbrokes Pioneer Park in Alice Springs today, and a good crowd is expected on-course to cheer on their hopefuls in the six-race card. The $27,500 Cummins Cup (1400m) will be the last of the half-dozen, while the co-feature, and richest race of the day, is the $40,000 Ladbrokes Red Centre Winter Series Final over 1200m, which will be the third on the card.
The Ladbrokes Winter Series Final has attracted a seven-strong field, and there is plenty of form among the combatants. Greg Connor has three of the seven engaged, while Ray Viney will be double-handed in the event. However, I am leaning towards Lisa Whittle’s charge Jamaican Gold to continue with his solid recent form and register his third successive win.
Jamaican Gold, a 5yo son of Bolt D’Oro, has had six starts in the Red Centre for two wins and two third placings, and has been improving with each run. He broke through for his first win in the Alice on 27 July, beating Stella Bystarlight over 1100m in 0-58 grade, then repeated the dose a fortnight later when scoring over this trip of 1200m in Benchmark 54 class.
Although up in grade here to a Benchmark 66, he drops in weight from 58.5kg to 54.5kg (4kg) and will again have the services of the in-form Sonja Logan, who rode no less than four winners at the most recent meeting here three weeks ago. He will be receiving weight from all bar two rivals, and is getting a whopping 8.5kg from the topweight and main danger Luskin Hero. With this in his favour and a good draw to assist his chances, he should prove very hard to beat.
Luskin Hero has really hit his straps since winning his first race in Alice in mid-June. Since then he has won again twice, and at his most recent start, was just a half-length second to Expert Witness, who carried 3kg less, over this trip on 9 August. In this BM66, Luskin Hero has been asked to carry 63kg, which will make his job difficult, but he is racing so well that he has to be a leading chance. Kristo Sardelic takes the mount for the Connor stable, and he will surely be one of the dividend-bearers.
Stablemate River Frost is a last-start winner, scoring here three weeks ago in lower grade, with Incivility second and Vitesse Breeze third. He has a good track and distance record and Danielle Hirini, who has been aboard the grey son of Frosted in recent starts, retains the mount for the Series Final. He gives Connor a strong second stringer, with his third runner, Boy Big, also a chance.
Boy Big is an eight-time winner from 50 starts, and although he has won just once from 16 starts at this trip, he can never be left out. His recent form has been sound without winning, and he chased Luskin Hero home at each of his three wins during June and July, which will surely be good formlines for this event. Lek Maloney takes the mount.
The Viney pair of Bodmin Boy and Tango Stepz are most consistent gallopers, and either could grab some of the stake on offer without surprising. Dr Venkman completes the line-up and Paul Gardner’s charge, a winner at Tennant Creek back in mid-May, will have to be on his best form to be competitive here.
The Cummins Cup has attracted eight runners and like the Winter Series Final, the Connor stable is well represented. Flying Start, who won this race 12 months ago when it was contested over 1100m, resumed from a decent spell with a good third behind Expert Witness and Luskin Hero on 9 August, and should be all the better for that outing. He has yet to win at this trip of 1400m but has gone some good races and with Sardelic in the saddle, he should be the hardest to beat.
Super Sharp, from the Whittle yard, has won his last couple and is racing really well. Jess Booth will claim 3kg here which brings the son of More Than Ready right into this. Hebel, similarly, is in great form for Carrol Hunter and with Logan to take the mount again, he adds to the puzzle in what promises to be a great renewal of the Cummins Cup.
Altar Boy, now in the Gardner stable, is another with claims, while La Vesuvius, the second of the Connor pair, cannot be left out.
The weather in Alice Springs this week has been lovely and sunny, although still cool overnight and in the mornings. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming south easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. The temperature is forecast to reach a comfortable 23 degrees during the day, and it will be just 5 degrees overnight. There is no chance of any rainfall.
The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.57pm (NT time), which is 2.27pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.00pm (NT time), or 5.30pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R2 # 1 FRANKFURT
Has been racing really well during the recent Darwin Cup Carnival, with two seconds and two fourths to his credit in some decent Carnival-grade events. Tried hard when second, and beaten less than a half-length, behind Kessler on Palmerston Sprint Day over 1300m, and even though back in trip by 100m, will be fit for this assignment. Dan McGillivray from Queensland takes the mount for Kevin Lamprecht, and from an ideal draw of four, he looks very hard to beat.
R4 # 7 TRAVANTI
Hit the line with great gusto when fifth of 11 behind Dummy Spit, Rising Fire and company over 1200m on 26 July in Darwin. That was the 9yo’s first start in almost six months, and will no doubt have brought him on for this target. Although this is 1100m, a distance he has yet to win at, he has been a winner six times from 21 starts at this track and showed with his effort last time that he still has plenty of zest for racing. Big chance here.
R6 # 1 FLYING START
Won this race last year when it was contested over 1100m. Has had just the one run back this campaign and finished a good third behind Expert Witness and Luskin Hero on 9 August over 1200m. Performed well last campaign over 1400m, and even though yet to win at the trip, has been placed four times from seven attempts. Will have been set for this feature event and although burdened with topweight, gets in pretty well for a horse of his ability. Should be very competitive in the Cummins Cup.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 1, 2, 3, 5
RACE 2 – 1, 2, 4, 3
RACE 3 – 5, 1, 4, 3
RACE 4 – 7, 5, 2, 3
RACE 5 – 3, 8, 1, 2
RACE 6 – 1, 4, 5, 3
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