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Important update on 1476AMAndrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Alice Springs (25/04)
Andrew O’Toole • April 25th, 2026 2:00 pm
Day 3 of the Ladbrokes Alice Springs Cup Carnival takes place today, and like last week, the fields are first-class, with seven races up for decision and some 63 acceptors to do battle. There are two feature events, the $45,000 Red Centre Technology Partners Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) and the $33,000 The Veterans Cup (1200m), both run at weight-for-age and both featuring ballot exemption in the Ladbrokes Alice Springs Cup and the Pioneer Sprint next weekend for the respective winners.
The Chief Minister’s Cup brings together eight combatants over the metric mile, and with the Alice Cup on Monday week, it is the final major lead-up to the $120,000 feature. While a number of the runners will be highly enough rated to already gain a Cup start, a couple of “lesser lights” will be looking to win their way into the big one by performing to their optimum here.
Topweight Active Duty, who won the Colac Cup (2000m) in country Victoria in early February before making his way to the Red Centre, has had two starts from the stable of Dick Leech since his arrival and while yet to win, he has placed second at both attempts. His first run, over 1400m on 28 March, produced a bold showing behind Magic Defense, beaten only narrowly, and he followed that up a fortnight later with an identical placing behind Venting over this trip of 1600m.
He looked in trouble on the home turn but rallied late to be beaten 1.5 lengths, with the strongest part of his race the last 50m. He should have improved again from that run and looks ready now to put his best foot forward. Hannah Le Blanc, who combined with Leech’s 2025 Cup winner Hasseltoff to win this race 12 months ago, takes the reins for the first time but is experienced around this circuit and from barrier three, should be able to take up a handy position in running and the 5yo promises to be very strong late.
Hardest to beat may well be the Darwin visitor and 1600m specialist Wolfburn, trained by leading conditioner Gary Clarke. The 7yo son of Snitzel has been a star performer since his 3yo days, with ten wins and five at this trip from 12 attempts ample evidence of his quality. The chestnut has had a somewhat unorthodox preparation for this event, as well as for the Cup nine days later, caused largely by a foot issue that lingered during the early part of this year.
However, he showed with a good run for third in Darwin on 27 March that he was on the way back, and his sprint run here a week ago when seventh of eight behind Rewards And More, Dakota Lee and company was an effort, not surprisingly, of a horse crying out for this trip and further. He promises to give a bold showing here and even though not a specialist at 2000m, he has been placed second, third and fourth in the last three Darwin Cups so has strong claims next week in the AS Cup.
The Kerry Petrick pair Our Couver and Venting have been racing in great form, with Our Couver’s last two starts since resuming from a spell producing third placings to Rewards And More (1200m) and Venting (1600m), and he has a very good record both at the track and over the trip. Ianish Luximon, who rides a lot for the Petrick stable, has the mount again and he should be right in the finish.
Venting, although now a 7yo, has been a tremendous performer for the Petrick stable since his 3yo season. He won the NT Derby that year, and has since won an Alice Springs Cup, Tennant Creek and Katherine Cup, with the only missing NT major Cup the Darwin Cup. His two runs back this campaign are ample proof that he still retains all his old ability, and his last-start win here beating a number of today’s rivals augurs well for another bold showing.
San Lucido is a lower-class galloper who would need to win here to force a run in the Cup, but he is a previous winner over this distance and his run here a week ago behind Rosebud Lass over 1400m was full of merit. That said, he will need to step up again to trouble the more favoured runners, as will newcomer Okesutora, Enterprise Lassie and Girls Girls Girls.
The weight-for-age sprint, the second event on the card, is another even contest with a number of hopes. Delago Lad, who has won two of his past three starts, the most recent a fortnight ago over 1100m, is an 8yo now but is racing as well as ever, and last year’s Pioneer Sprint third placegetter again rates highly. The 15-race winner, trained by Greg Connor, will be ridden by Danielle Hirini, who knows the son of Delago Deluxe well.
Convincebility, from the Darwin stable of Tayarn Halter, will be having his first start in Alice this campaign, his last run coming in the Top End when second to Struck Gold on 27 March. He races well fresh and has obviously been kept in this state with this race in mind prior to the Pioneer Sprint on 2 May. He ran in this event 12 months ago, finishing fourth, before a fifth placing in the Pioneer, so he has the ability to handle this track.
Beyond Ready should be improved by his two runs this campaign and makes some appeal, while Great Buy is another who can make his presence felt. Boy Big and Limited Risk are both capable on their day, while Super Sharp, five times a winner here, and The Final Word, who has three wins on the track, would need to be at their absolute best to trouble the major players here.
The weather in Alice Springs continues to be nice and fine, with good days and cooler nights and mornings. The official forecast for today is: Sunny. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach a comfortable 28 degrees during the day, and it will be a fresh 12 degrees overnight. There is 0% chance of any rain.
The first race on the seven-race card gets underway at 1.22pm (NT time), which is 1.52pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.55pm (NT time), or 5.25pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 3 DYNASTY REWARDConsistent 4yo who gets another ideal opportunity to break his maiden in the day’s opener. Has finished five times second and twice third from 12 starts, and has finished runner-up at his two most recent outings behind Rosebud Lass on 15 March and Dad Bod on 4 April. Twice second at this trip from five attempts, and has a nice draw to aid his chances this time. In-form apprentice Deborah Barton’s 2kg claim should prove invaluable.
R4 # 6 IN NO DOUBTBacking up from last week when he tried hard behind Real Valentia, a rival again, in his first start on the track. Had to do a bit of work early in the run, but stuck on gamely to be beaten just 0.5 lengths. Jarrod Todd was aboard last week and retains the mount here for Dick Leech. Competitive line-up but promises to again give a good account of himself.
R6 # 3 FAST FREEZEResumed from a five-month plus spell with a bold showing for fourth in BM76 company behind quality gallopers Bahama Bay, O’Tycoon and Tellez, beaten just over two lengths. On the quick back-up but handled it last preparation when winning twice, with a week between runs, at Kununurra. Drops in grade appreciably here and the Leech-Todd combination should again be to the fore, even from a wide draw of 11.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 3, 1, 5, 8RACE 2 – 4, 3, 1, 5RACE 3 – 3, 1, 6, 5RACE 4 – 6, 2, 7, 1RACE 5 – 1, 7, 5, 4RACE 6 – 3, 8, 5, 9RACE 7 – 1, 6, 3, 5
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