Winter mission right on track

Heading north to Queensland for the winter harness racing feature season usually results in more “working” than “holiday” for most.

And noted Sydney conditioner Rickie Alchin is adamant he couldn’t do it without his dependable main man Ricky Hunt.

A two-State double on Tuesday (one win apiece at Redcliffe and Menangle) underlines the success of their working partnership and also provided Hunt with a long-awaited achievement in his first Menangle driving win.

“I absolutely couldn’t do it without Rick.  He’s been working for me for five and a half years, and he’s very loyal and the hardest worker you will find – if I’m not able to be with the horses, he’s there and they definitely don’t go backwards,” Alchin said.

“He doesn’t drive that often, and I was just so rapt to see him get a winner at Menangle because it’s something he’s always wanted to achieve,” he said.

Alchin was successful on Tuesday with a comfortable win with Puma Road (Pegasus Spur – May the Sun Shine (Sundon) in the PSP Trotters Rating Handicap while down south Hunt scored a half-head victory on three year old Our Action Man (American Ideal – Easton All Action (Washington VC).

The Alchin team is in the second week of campaigning in the Sunshine State from a Redcliffe base, while Hunt keeps the team running back at Menangle.

“Rick came up for the first week, then I’ve been up here this week.  We’ve got nine up here, but we will end up with around 10 or 12 and rotate them through to target some of the bigger races,” Alchin said.

“We turned out a lot of the young ones and breakers and some that didn’t make it as a two-year-old.  Rick’s still working about 10 but will come back up after the Redcliffe Derby (June 26).”

Alchin has already notched up five Queensland winners and a handful of placings, but the main missions are ahead, with the rich feature races beginning at Redcliffe tomorrow.

“The first mission is with Crunch Time in the Patrons Purse and Borsellino in the Redcliffe Sales 2YO Heats – that’s a $100,000 final, if we can make it through the heats,” Alchin said.

“We are also looking after Justa Little Bit (for brother Jarrod Alchin) and he goes around in the $50,000 Redcliffe Yearling Sales 3YO final, which is a Group Three race,” he said.

“The second mission is the Derbies, with Captain Crusader and Watts Up Sunshine (Redcliffe Derby is June 26, South East Derby Albion Park July 17).”

Alchin said Crunch Time would be aimed at the Rising Sun (Albion Park, July 10 $250,000), and, if he’s fortunate enough, the Sunshine Sprint (Albion Park, July 17).

“We hopefully also have Tough Monarch up here for the Trotters Championship (Group One July 17) and all going well we will aim Borsellino and Zacharooni for the 2YO Triads late in July and a couple of three-year-old trotters at the Springboard series,” he said.

“There are some fantastic racing opportunities up here this winter, but, that said, it’s going to be very tough racing for all the horses at all levels, because there are so many good horses here already and others still planning to come up.

“It’s a very hard carnival this year, but we’ve got some nice horses that are good enough to be in those races and we hope to be in the firing line – we just need a little bit of luck.

“So far, we have started off on a good note and hopefully we haven’t used up all our luck too early!”

By Terrry Gange for Harnesslink