South Australian trainer heads to Alice Springs seeking firm deck
It sounds outrageous, but Murray Bridge trainer Garret Lynch decided to travel over 1600km to race half a dozen horses at Alice Springs on Saturday.
The reason?
“Well, the weather to be honest,” Lynch said from the Red Centre on Friday.
“It’s been pretty wet down home and we’re looking for a firmer track – something better than a Heavy 8.
“I brought a team up that really don’t go in the wet, so I thought I would travel half way across the country and find a better track.”
It is definitely one of those “hit and run” missions for Lynch as his visit will be brief.
“I got up here Friday afternoon and I’m going to leave Sunday morning,” he said.
“Try and attack and get out.
“We broke up the trip.
“We stopped at Coober Pedy on Thursday night and the horses had a good rest there.
“We left late in the morning on Friday from Coober Pedy and got up here before their feed up time, so they’ve all travelled up really well.
“They’re good travellers – I do a bit of travelling down home.
“I go across to Victoria all the time and places like Port Augusta, so they’re all pretty well travelled.”
Obelos, a $4.20 equal favourite on Friday night along with the Kevin Lamprecht-trained Lisa, and Maid In Milan ($4.50) feature in the opening race over 1200m (0-58).
Obelos, an 8YO gelding, saluted over 1200m (BM54) at Gawler on September 21 before a last start ninth at Morphettville Parks over 1300m (BM64) on October 1.
In her past nine starts, Maid In Milan has only been placed once and that was three starts ago at Manangatang in Victoria where the 8YO mare finished second over 1175m (BM58).
Archery Butts will race over 1200m (0-70) and was the $3.50 ahead of Hapruna ($3.90) from the stable of Lisa Whittle, winner of the 2021/22 Alice Springs and Provincial trainer’s premiership.
The 6YO gelding will run in a third state for the third straight race after coming fourth on the Sunshine Coast over 1000m (Class 3) in August before a last start second at Gawler over 1200m (BM56) on October 21.
Final Jedi, quoted at $11, lines up in a 1100m maiden and since joining the Lynch stable the 4YO mare was placed in her first three starts before failing in her next three starts.
The final pairing of Archie’s A Star ($6.50), a 6YO gelding, and Hey Michael ($17), a 4YO gelding, will feature over 1000m (BM54).
Archie’s A Star has been racing well and was a last start fourth over 900m (BM58) at Mount Gambier on October 19, while Hey Michael has battled in his past seven starts after winning first up for Lynch over 1050m (BM54) at Balaklava in July.
The good news for Lynch is that it will be a partly cloudy day in Alice Springs with a top temperature of 29C, but more importantly Pioneer Park’s dirt surface will be ideal for racing.
“We had a bit of break out season last season, I trained 49 winners – won the provincial and country premiership for South Australia, so yeah, just trying to get my name out there and just trying to have a real crack,” Lynch said.
“Archie’s A Star is probably my best chance.
“Archery Butts, I think is a nice horse that could definitely do something tomorrow.
“Final Jedi, if he runs up to his best he should be winning.
“It’s hard to assess the locals, they’ve all just been racing in the same races against each other.
“My horses will probably give the local trainers a good reference as to where their horses are at.”
SA apprentice Kristo Sardelic, who can claim 3kg, arrives from Adelaide on Saturday morning to partner Obelos, Archery Butts, Final Jedi and Archie’s A Star.
Alice rider Dan Morgan rides Maid In Milan and Hey Michael.
Lynch, who has trained for 11 years, follows a long line of Murray Bridge trainers who have frequented the Darwin and Alice Springs Cup Carnivals over the years – including John Hickmott, John Peacock, Michael Hickmott, Heather Lehmann, Nicole Irwin, Karen Byrnes and Scott Whittle, who also has a stable at Strathalbyn.
“I’ve had discussions with trainers back home about the NT, but I’m good friends with Scott Whittle as well and he has sent a couple up here that have gone really well,” Lynch said.
“He’s got a couple with his sister Lisa – Harbour Express and Liberty Blue.
“He sent them up for the same reason as me and I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon.”
To taste racing in Central Australia for the first time will be an experience for Lynch, so is he eyeing a return in the future.
“Probably not, it’s just sort of a once off thing,” he said.
“My biggest owner and supporter Roi Bloodstock have been struggling a little bit lately with the wet tracks – I try to get the best return on investment with the horses and this looked attractive – so I thought I’d give it a go.
“I’m not really planning on coming up again, but if we get four winners we might have to go for another trip.
“Yeah, of course, I’d consider the Darwin Cup, but you’ve got to have a pretty serious horse to do that.
“If I had the right horse, I’d definitely have a crack.”