My Ultimate Ronnie heads to Perth

Prominent NSW Jarrod Alchin has no regrets about skipping the Brisbane Inter Dominion and heading to Perth.

Alchin’s star harness racing four-year-old My Ultimate Ronnie (Bettor’s Delight) was flown from Sydney to Perth today to target WA’s two major four-year-old races, starting with the $125,000 Group 2 4YO Classic (2130m) at Gloucester Park on Friday week.

Then comes the $200,000 Group 1 Golden Nugget (2536m) at the same track on December 15.

“I just felt it was the right way to go with him,” Alchin said. “Sure, being part of the Inter Dominion would’ve been great and I’m sure he’d have been competitive, but it would’ve meant taking on Leap To Fame and Swayzee.

“These are his last couple of chances to race for good money against his own age.

“I’ve been watching the four-year-old races in Perth and they look an even bunch, no standouts.”

Alchin will travel with My Ultimate Ronnie until his first run and plans to give him a look at Gloucester Park in a workout between races on Friday night.

“If he comes through the trip well, I’ll take him there. He doesn’t need it for fitness, but it would be good just to take him under the lights and give him a look around,” he said.

“I’m not worried about the smaller track. He broke the track record around Penrith as a two-year-old and he’s won four or five races there and it would be tighter than Gloucester Park.

“I think he’s at least as good, maybe even better, on the smaller track because he rails like a greyhound.”

My Ultimate Ronnie has won his past three races on end at Menangle for a haul of 19 wins from 34 starts.

Alchin kept him up to the mark with a Menangle trial last Wednesday.

“They went 1min51sec and he felt great. We didn’t pull him out because he didn’t need to do any more than he did,” he said.

“I’ve had my ups and downs with him over the past six months or so, but he’s as good as I can have him now.”

Alchin’s only looming dilemma is who will drive My Ultimate Ronnie in the 4YO Classic on Friday week.

“If Swayzee goes to the Inter Dominion, Cam Hart will be at Albion Park driving him on the same night,” Alchin said.

“If Cam’s not available, I’d offer Will Rixon the drive because he’s won on him before and he drove him in the trial last week.

“Cam will be ok to drive him in the Nugget because that’s on the Friday night and the Inter Dominion final is the following night.”

Alchin toyed with the idea of taking his exciting recent stable addition Pas Guarantee across to Perth with My Ultimate Ronnie.

“In the end, the bonuses on offer for the NSW Carnival of Cups is just too attractive not to focus on that,” he said.

It will make for a busy night Friday week when Pas Guarantee, who won the first leg of the series at Cowra, heads to the second leg, the Cherry City Cup, at Young.

Alchin will obviously be in Perth chasing the 4YO Classic on the same night.

by Adam Hamilton, for RWWA