Alice Springs apprentice Lek Maloney lands maiden treble
After Darwin apprentice Emma Lines landed a treble at Fannie Bay on Saturday, Alice Springs apprentice Lek Maloney repeated the feat at Pioneer Park on Sunday.
For Lines, 17, it was her third treble after kickstarting her career last December.
In contrast, it was the first treble for 20-year-old Maloney after launching his career last October.
The Maloney family were doing handstands at Pioneer Park on Sunday when Lek got the cash aboard Russell Bell’s +160 favourite Delago Lad before posting two wins for the Greg Connor stable on +800 hope Big Feelings and +1200 chance Zelring.
That makes 15 career wins for Maloney, including 10 in Alice Springs, three in Kununurra and two in Darwin.
In the second race of the day, Delgado Lad trailed Lisa Whittle’s Omoplata for most of the 1200m trip before making his move at the home turn and then hitting the front at the 100m to seal victory by 1.5 lengths from Omoplata and Ray Viney’s Debbonaire Boy.
That was Delago Lad’s first triumph since winning four straight at Pioneer Park from October to December last year after arriving from SA.
Alice Springs R2 replay – Delago Lad – T: Russell Bell
Maloney caused Whittle more grief in the following race when Big Feelings swooped late to nail +160 favourite Drawn To Win, who had led throughout in the 1000m maiden, right on the line to win by 0.2 of a length, with Connor’s Quanapirri Bay third.
That was Big Feelings’ sixth career start and his third NT appearance after three SA starts.
Alice Springs R3 replay – Big Feelings – T: Greg Connor
Zelring, winless since August last year, produced a spectacular performance in a 1400m open handicap after trailing the leader, Assertin Lady, by 10 lengths in last place along the back straight.
With 500m to go, Zelring made up considerable ground as Carrol Hunter’s Desert Lass took over the lead, but Maloney’s mount swooped out wide with 200m remaining and got up by 0.2 of a length, with Will Savage’s Fantasy Eagle a length away in third place.
Alice Springs R5 replay – Zelring – T: Greg Connor
In the opening race on the card, Lisa ended a drought stretching back to December 2021 when storming home to salute over 1200m.
Trained by Kevin Lamprecht and with apprentice Ianish Luximon in the saddle, Lisa settled fourth before finding a saloon passage along the rails once turning for home and caught James Carroll’s Excuses Excuses, who had led from the start, to win by half a length, with Whittle’s +130 favourite Miss Miduki seven lengths adrift in third place.
Alice Springs R1 replay – Lisa – T: Kevin Lamprecht
It’s never easy winning first-up on the Pioneer Park dirt, but former NSW galloper Tango Stepz bucked the trend when he came from the clouds to win over 1000m for Viney and jockey Jessie Philpot.
The +2000 outsider was a long way back in sixth place at the 800m, but with 400m to go she was flying, and in the home straight the gaps appeared as the leaders, Esashi and Intercontinental, began to tire.
There were chances aplenty in the closing stages before Tango Stepz got to the front to overcome Bell’s Irememberwhen and Connor’s Intercontinental by half a length.
Alice Springs R4 replay – Tango Stepz – T: Ray Viney
After spending a few weeks in Sydney working on her craft with leading trainer Bjorn Baker, talented apprentice Dakota Gillett marked her return with a win aboard Paul Gardner’s +850 prospect Quick Return over 1400m in the closer.
It was a two-way battle out in front from start to finish between Quick Return and Lamprecht’s -105.26 favourite Sweet As Scandi, who were both seeking back-to-back wins.
Sweet As Scandi had Quick Return sitting on her hammer, but when the pressure mounted in the home straight it was Gillett’s mount that dug deepest to win by 1.5 lengths, with Sienna’s Choice finishing handsomely for third.