NSW visitor has eye on ID22

New South Wales horseman Rickie Alchin’s annual Victorian harness racing pilgrimage comes with one big added incentive this year – an opportunity for his up-and-coming trotter Watts Up Majestic (Majestic Son) in the Inter Dominion series starting Saturday (Nov 26).

Alchin is tag-teaming on the Victorian campaign with stable foreman Ricky Hunt, and has just returned to Menangle, with Hunt taking over preparations of the six horses remaining in Victoria.

“We like to get down for VicBred and Breeders Crown if we’ve got something suitable, and we always have a few that we try to utilize our time down there to pick up VicBred bonuses,” Alchin said.

“We’ve had a reasonably good time of it – One Big Shew (Rock N Roll Heaven) we were very happy with in finishing runner up in the 4yo Breeders Crown on Saturday night (Nov 19) and he’ll be staying down for the time,” he said.

“We picked up a Vicbred bonus with Sugar For My Honey (Roll With Joe) at Stawell last week (Nov 17) and Soho Rhapsody (American Ideal) just got beaten in a Breeders Crown consolation at Bendigo on Tuesday (Nov 22).”

But undoubtedly the big targets ahead for Team Alchin begin on Saturday night at Ballarat, with the first round of heats for the Inter Dominion.

“Watts Up Majestic has done a terrific job, but I think he’s a horse that’s probably a season away from his best.  He’ll be much more suited to the Inter Dominion in 12 months’ time and that’s what we’ve got in mind for him.

“We’ll give him this experience, and use it as a steppingstone, then give him a really good spell, before we get him going with this in mind for next year.  Going forward I am sure he will take the next step and be down into free for all company.

“He’s done a tremendous job all season and won quite a few features.”

Alchin said he was also looking forward to the upcoming VicBred features with a youngster of the team, two-year-old square gaiter Watts Up Partytime (Majestic Son).

“He’s a really nice little horse.  He ran second in a heat of the Breeders Crown at Maryborough, and if he puts his best foot forward in the Vicbreds, I think he’ll do a good job.  You’ve gotta be in it to win it!”

Alchin has his visiting team based with Josh Dickie and Sammy Kilgour, at Toolern Vale, near Melton.

“They’ve just been fantastic in looking after us and that’s been much appreciated.  It’s a busy time of the year when we have a lot of babies coming through so there’s a lot to be done there as well as managing the interstate trips,” he said.

“We’ve got about 35 in work with a lot of nicely bred young ones which are working through their education at the moment.  We haven’t done a lot with them yet, but the next eight to 12 weeks will sort the men from the boys!”

by Terry Gange, for Harnesslink