Alice Springs betting preview & best bets | Saturday 22/4/2023
| What | 2023 Alice Springs Cup Carnival – Day 3 |
| Where | Pioneer Park Racecourse – Stuart Hwy, Connellan NT 0870 |
| When | Saturday, April 22, 2023 |
| First Race | 1:09pm ACST |
Day 3 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival – Tradies Day – will comprise eight races with 74 runners accepting for what shapes up as an outstanding meeting. It’s the last chance to qualify and prepare for the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) and $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on April 30 with the $40,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) and a $26,300 weight-for-age event over 1200m the feature races.
Thankfully, there’s no rain on the radar after last Saturday’s meeting was rescheduled to Monday when up to 40mm fell in the Red Centre over the weekend. Sunny conditions and light winds are expected come this Saturday with a top temperature of 26C. The rail will once again be in the true position, and not only will Pioneer Park be a good dirt surface, but it will be dry.
Best Bet at Alice Springs: Garrucha
Garrucha found the opposition too hot a fortnight ago when fifth over 1000m (0-62) in open company, but steps back to his own age group and in all due respect should prove too classy for his five rivals who don’t bring earth-shattering form to the table. The son of Street Boss kicked off his career last June as a two-year-old for a second in a 1000m maiden at Bendigo and a third in a 1200m maiden at Donald. He debuted in Alice Springs on March 19 and finished a respectable third over 1100m (Class 2) behind the handy Fluffy Bunny Feet and Rupert’s Delight. The horse backed up the following week to destroy the opposition by seven lengths in a 1200m maiden as a $1.45 favourite. Gotta Beat and Paketta are capable of posing a threat, Justify This and Mel’s Legacy are still finding their feet, and Boomerconi is having his first start. With the inside gate it appears as though only bad luck stands in Garrucha’s way.
Best Bet
Race 2 – 
#1 Garrucha (1)
3yo Gelding | T: Russell Bell | J: Dan Morgan (59kg)
Next Best at Alice Springs: Miracoli
Miracoli stepped up to 0-70 level (1600m) on April 1 and was outclassed, finishing eighth. He boasted excellent form until then and had every right to test the waters against stronger opposition, but it just didn’t work out with barrier 11 in a 12-horse field also proving an obstacle. He steps down in grade, and with the Leech stable in red-hot form, Jade Hampson in the midst of a purple patch, a 2kg claim and a handy gate, the five-year-old gelding is capable of making it four wins from his past five starts. Lightly raced at the start of his career, the son of Pierro won the first of his 12 starts in the Red Centre on debut in April 2021 in an 1100m maiden. In his next seven starts in Alice and Kununurra he didn’t run a drum until saluting over 1400m (0-58) on January 28. That was followed by a terrific win over 1400m (0-58) on February 18, before getting the money as a $1.90 favourite over 1600m (0-64) on March 11.
Next Best
Race 6 – 
#1 Miracoli (4)
5yo Gelding | T: Dick Leech | J: Jade Hampson (a2) (60kg)
Best Value at Alice Springs: Dip Me Lid
Dip Me Lid impressed on debut at Pioneer Park on March 11 when second behind Valley Prince over 1400m (0-70), but the seven-year-old gelding has failed to fire a shot since with a seventh over 1600m (0-70) behind Lethal Encounter on March 19 and a ninth over 1600m (0-70) behind Mug’s Game on April 1. It’s perhaps a bit of a risk to suggest the son of Helmet can bounce back to form at the flick of the switch – maybe he dislikes the dirt or the reverse way of running after 42 starts in NSW and the ACT – but before heading to NT his form was pretty good. A third in open company (1400m) and a fourth over 1600m (BM65) in Canberra was followed by a third over 1600m (BM87), a win over 1800m (BM66) and a third over 2000m (BM74) at Wagga Wagga. Dip Me Lid has had six wins and 17 minor placings in 45 starts and his record over 1600m sits at 15: 2-4-4. Can he hit back on Saturday?
Best Value
Race 7 – 
#4 Dip Me Lid (8)
7yo Gelding | T: Kerry Petrick | J: Casey Hunter (59.5kg)
Saturday quaddie tips for Alice Springs races
Alice Springs quadrella selections
Saturday, April 22, 2023
- 1-2-4
- 1-7
- 1-3-4-6-11
- 4-6-7
Investment:$90 for 100%