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Andrew O’Toole’s Sunday best at Alice Springs (05/07)
Andrew O’Toole • July 4th, 2026 8:00 pm
Racing returns to Alice Springs today for the first of three meetings during the month of July. The ASTC will also race next week (Sunday 12th) as well as a fortnight later on Sunday 26th. A five-race card is the order of the day and with seven riders in attendance, including six currently based in the Top End, there will need to be three scratchings on the day, one in the Benchmark 54 1000m and two in the 0-58 1400m.
The highest rated race on the card is the $28,000 PFD Food Services Handicap, an Average Benchmark affair over 1200m. Four trainers will be represented in the seven-horse field, with Lisa Whittle (3) and Greg Connor (2) having multiple runners, while Ray Viney and Carrol Hunter will have one representative apiece. And it is the last-named, Hunter, who I favour to take out the event with her very much in-form 7yo Brat, chasing a hat-trick of wins.
The son of Reward For Effort and Explobo, a brother to the former tremendous Red Centre performer That’s Justified, who won no less than 22 races, has himself been a multiple winner of 14 races from 60 starts. He was trained for the majority of his career by Terry Gillett but following this year’s AS Cup Carnival, he changed stables and Hunter has only had him for two runs, both of which he has won impressively.
He scored over 1000m in 0-58 grade on 30 May, winning by 4.3 lengths, and followed that up a fortnight later with a similarly dominant display over 1100m up against 0-64 company. He steps up to Benchmark grade this time but with Deborah Barton’s 2kg apprentice claim, will get in with a winnable 53.5kg, 3kg less than he carried when winning last time.
Barton has only had the three rides on Brat for two wins and a second, so the pair have a formidable association and that looks set to continue today.
Brat will not have it all his own way, however, as he is up against some well-performed rivals, most notably Luskin Hero, Zestiman and O’Tycoon, while Delago Lad and Square Cut, on their day, would give this a shake.
Luskin Hero, the more favoured of the Connor pair, has been in fine form in three starts since the AS Cup Carnival. He finished second to Black Zous, beaten a very narrow margin, over 1000m on 30 May before turning the tables on that runner a fortnight later over 1200m. He backed up a week later on 21 June and was only just caught by the subsequently ill-fated Pompeii Empire, who unfortunately broke down just past the line.
Luskin Hero, as evidenced by his last three runs, tends to race consistently once he finds form, and there is nothing to suggest he won’t again race well. Hannah Le Blanc, who rode him to win two starts back, regains the mount and the pair should give Brat and company plenty to worry about.
Zestiman, representing Whittle, has really hit his straps in the Red Centre, winning at Tennant Creek four starts back and finishing twice second and once third at Pioneer Park since. He should have won last time but for his rider failing to ride his mount out to the line, and he was caught in the last stride by Rosebud Lass. He deserves another winning turn, will probably be the pacesetter and will be right in the finish.
O’Tycoon is the class act of the field, and gives Whittle another leading contender. His last two starts during the AS Cup Carnival produced fifth placings in the Pioneer Sprint, beaten 3.2 lengths, and in the open 1000m on Cup Day, in which he chased home the impressive Arizona Activist and company, beaten six lengths. He is the winner of almost $270,000 in stakes, and in a fresh state, with Lek Maloney’s 1.5kg apprentice claim, he will carry 60.5kg. The trip of 1200m is also a positive, having won four times and been placed second on a further three occasions over the distance.
Delago Lad was in great form leading up to the Pioneer Sprint in early May but failed to fire in that feature, and has since been well below his best. However, the winner of 16 races has the ability and if he puts it altogether, he could easily give this a shake in the hands of Stan Tsaikos.
Square Cut and Demiquaver complete the line-up, and the former, from the inside gate, must be considered, while the latter was a good third to Pompeii Ruler last time and adds further to the puzzle.
The weather in the Red Centre this week has been mainly fine, although a band of rain was forecast for yesterday which it is to be hoped will produce less than anticipated. The official forecast for today reads: Cloudy. Very high chance of rain, most likely in the morning and afternoon. Light winds becoming southeasterly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the evening. The temperature is forecast to reach just a chilly 14 degrees during the day, and it will be just 6 degrees overnight. There is a 90% chance of rain.
The first race on the five-race card gets underway at 1.06pm (NT time), which is 1.36pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 3.40pm (NT time), or 4.20pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 6 BRATHas been in career-best form since relocating to Alice Springs and trainer Carrol Hunter after a period spent in Darwin. Has won his last two starts over 1000m and 1100m by four lengths and more on each occasion, and Deborah Barton retains the mount on the 7yo son of Reward For Effort. Steps up in trip to 1200m this time but has won no less than seven times at the distance and should again be very hard to hold out.
R2 # 4 STARTYOURENGINEHad his chance when third first-up here on 14 June, and should be improved for that run. Lightly-raced 3yo who drops back in trip here from 1400m to 1100m and while perhaps not ideal, this does not appear a strong maiden field on paper. Stan Tsaikos takes over the mount from the suspended Paul Denton and Greg Connor’s charge has drawn nicely in barrier two. Can make the necessary step up here.
R5 # 2 GRINZINGER LASSLooked to be returning to somewhere near her best with a third placing to stablemate Rosebud Lass over 1400m on 21 June, and up in distance here to 1600m, a trip at which she has yet to win but has been placed second once from only two attempts. Jess Philpot goes aboard this time and with only four rivals, she looks the hardest to beat for the Ray Viney stable.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 6, 3, 5, 1RACE 2 – 4, 1, 3, 6RACE 3 – 3, 1, 2, 4RACE 4 – 1, 5, 3, 2RACE 5 – 2, 3, 1, 4
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