Healy starts Alice Springs Cup Carnival with winning treble
Strathalbyn trainer Kym Healy was chuffed on Monday as he made the long trip back home from Alice Springs.
Healy celebrated a winning treble on Sunday on Day 1 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival with Taipan Tommy (+450), Real Valentia (+340), and Starlite Rebel (+150).
All three have won at Pioneer Park previously, and that’s no surprise as Healy is renowned for bringing the right horses to Central Australia, where he has posted 24 wins and 52 minor placings from 208 starts.
Healy, who regularly takes a team interstate and frequents the Alice Springs and Darwin Cup Carnivals annually, also had two seconds on Sunday with Cyclonite and Lotto Fight.
On Day 4 of the 2022 Alice Springs Cup Carnival, Healy celebrated a winning treble.
Commitments back home forced Healy to make the 1590km trek back home, but he’ll be back in Alice Springs before Day 2 on Saturday.
Taipan Tommy (Emma Lines), who had four wins and two seconds from six Pioneer Park starts last year, proved too good for his rivals over 1400m (0-70) when he overcame Strike Eagle (+300) and Zoustorm (+2500) by 3.5 lengths.
Settling in third place, Taipain Tommy, an eight-year-old gelding by Dark Valley, made his winning move at the 600m and Healy may now start him in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on April 7.
Real Valentia (Ianish Luximon) was among six horses vying for the early lead over 1000m (0–62), and the six-year-old gelding, the son of Valentia, was in the mix turning for home.
Hellivit (+450), who hit the front at the 600m, looked like winning before Real Valentia swooped to win by a nose, with Bullinachinashop ($6.50) – flattened at the 200m – finishing third.
Starlite Rebel (Jessie Philpot) led early over 1200m (0-58) and was set for a comfortable win, passing the 400m before Lamoree (+150) cut the deficit to half a length at the finish.
The Girl’s Boy (+550) was a distant third.
A five-year-old mare by Reward For Effort, Starlite Rebel was a last start winner at Kangaroo Island on February 17.
Meanwhile, local trainer Terry Gillett secured a winning double after +500 hope Brat (Dakota Gillett) and -111.11 favourite Protostar (Stan Tsaikos) saluted over 1100m (0-66) and 1200m (0-58), respectively.
Brat prevailed by a length after jumping from a wide gate to take an early lead, while Protostar rounded the leaders swinging for home before winning by a neck.
Dick Leech’s Early Crow (Jade Hampson), last year’s Palmerston Sprint winner in Darwin, proved too good for Great Buy (+250) and Square Cut (+260) in an open 1200m handicap as the +115 favourite with top horse racing betting sites.
Settling in third place over 1200m (0-70), Dan Morgan’s +270 chance Angelluccis (Lek Maloney) finished strongly in the home straight to down Valley Prince (+230) by half a length, with Iknowhatyouredoing (+700) third.
A flight transporting jockeys from Darwin to Alice Springs on Sunday was delayed, forcing three late scratchings in the opening race.