South Aussie's Sweep Alice Springs Cup
- Monday, 05 May 2008 00:00
Evergreen seven-year-old Tradesman's Choice won the $76,700 XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cup (2000m) at Pioneer Park this afternoon in a race dominated by the South Australians.
Croweaters filled the three placings with top weight Nozi, a former Darwin Cup winner, running second and the Gawler mare Akhaton making ground to finish third, but it the end it was Tradesman's Choice's day.
Winning trainer, Morphettville horseman Gordon Richards, had never been to Alice Springs before, but tonight he's celebrating capturing their biggest and most famous horse race.
Richards was a little concerned the son of Fraar had got too far back on a track which generally suits on pace runners.
"I thought he was in trouble when he got so far back," Richards said. "But they did go very hard and it suited him."
"He's still done a big job," he added. "He was wide the whole way."
"It was a good ride. He rated him well."
Winning rider Dominic Tourneur was able to get Trademan's Choice moving around the outside of runners after leaving the back straight.
By the time the field was approaching the home turn Tourneur had his mount ranging up to the leaders and the result from that point was never really under threat.
"He may not be a superstar and we've probably put him in races he's not good enough in, but he always gives you a good run," Richards summed up.
Bred by former well known Adelaide rider Raygan Rayner, Tradesman's Choice has turned into a great money spinner for connections - $224,125 to be precise. And by the ease of today's win there's more to be added to the bankroll info the future.
For Dominic Tourneur the win was his third in the famous Northern Territory staying event.
"The race obviously likes me a bit," Tourneur said. "It's good to win it again."
Tourneur had worked hard to secure the ride aboard Tradesman's Choice having watched him run big races in a number of races over recent weeks.
After running fourth at Cheltenham five runs back Trademan's Choice went to Port Lincoln and ran second in the Cup there before running a close up third at Oakbank at Easter and then winning at Cheltenham on April 5.
Richards then decided to give the Alice Springs Cup a serious hit and he headed north and his charge was third to Port Pegasus in a lead up on April 19.
"I thought he was the right sort of horse who could win the race and I've been pestering him for the last four weeks and thankfully enough he and the connections were good enough to put me on," he reported.
Today was the first time Tourneur had ridden Tradesman's Choice in a race.
Now the winner of eight races and a minor placegetter on 26 other occasions from his 76 starts, Tradesman's Choice is part owned by former trainer Stephen Pugh.
PIC - Greg Irvine.
