Venting reigns supreme in Alice Springs Cup
Trainer Kerry Petrick, born and raised in the Red Centre, claimed her third Alice Springs Cup (2000m) at Pioneer Park on Sunday when five-year-old gelding Venting won the $110,000 feature.
For Petrick, who started her training career in Darwin in 1996, victory in the Cup followed in the footsteps of Mister Cheval (1999) and He’s Here (2009).
It was Venting’s second big Territory win after nailing the $135,000 NT Derby (2050m) during the 2022 Darwin Cup Carnival at Fannie Bay.
With Stan Tsaikos aboard on Sunday, the son of Star Witness was fourth passing the winning post the first time, and settled in fifth up the side of the course once exiting the home straight.
Venting ($9) remained in fifth place along the back straight as Neil Dyer’s $3.20 favourite Hettinger (Aaraon Sweeney) held a narrow lead over Carrol Hunter’s $11 hope Desert Lass (Casey Hunter).
Kym Healy’s $15 chance Taipan Tommy (Emma Lines) and Michael Hickmott’s $13 prospect Exalted Fire (Sonja Logan) were next as Garret Lynch’s $14 contender Shiny Rock (Saryn Fawke) moved up inside Venting passing the 800m.
Desert Lass, second in last year’s Cup, took it up to Hettinger at the 600m and they skipped two lengths clear just as Venting started to make ground on Taipan Tommy and Exalted Fire.
With 400m to go, Venting, Taipan Tommy and Exalted Fire had caught Hettinger and Desert Lass, and although Shiny Rock elected to go four wide in search of glory, no other runner was making ground from the back of the pack.
Into the home straight, Venting clearly had momentum and was matching strides with the leaders at the 300m mark as Exalted Fire looked to split Hettinger and Desert Lass.
Venting was in the box seat with 150m to go before edging clear to prevail by 1.2 lengths from the mighty seven-year-old mare Desert Lass, with Exalted Fire a close-up third.
Hettinger, winner of the St Patrick’s Day Cup (1600m) and Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) leading up to Sunday, was a further length and a half adrift in fourth place.
Back in 2022, Venting had four starts for Petrick during the Darwin Carnival – he finished seventh in the Cup (2050m) following the Derby – before heading back to Andrew Bobbin’s Stawell stable.
He returned in March last year, and by the end of 2023, he had raced on 10 occasions in Alice Springs and Darwin for Petrick for three wins and five minor placings.
A third over 1400m (0-70) in January was followed by two wins over 1600m (0-70) in February and he wasn’t that far away when third in the St Patrick’s Day Cup and fourth in the Chief Minister’s Cup in March.
Renowned for pinching a race if allowed to control matters out in front, Tsaikos has endured plenty of success and won the Alice Springs and Provincial jockeys’ premiership for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 season.
Carnival wins had included the Metric Mile (That’s Justified) and Bridge Toyota Cup (Kaonic) in the Top End, as well as the NT Guineas (Valley Prince) in the Red Centre.
He then booted Terry Gillett’s Supreme Attraction home in last year’s Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in Alice Springs; the same combination finished fourth in Saturday’s $100,000 feature.
Venting is in line to win the Ladbrokes Territory Treble where connections will pick up a $100,000 bonus should he return to Fannie Bay and win the $60,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) on July 13 and the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 5.