A year on from her winning debut as a race rider, Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson celebrated the anniversary with a winning treble in the rescheduled Alice Springs Cup Carnival meeting on Monday.
Although she missed out winning her first NT feature when Patrick Johnston’s $1.40 favourite Ankle Rolex ran fourth in the $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m), the teenager produced three faultless rides aboard the Dick Leech duo Envenomate ($11) and Write Your Name ($4.20), and Kym Healy’s Real Valentia ($2.40 fav) to make it 37 career wins.
READ: Dick Leech dominates NT Guineas Day with five winners
Those results boosted her win tally to 11 in the Alice Springs jockeys’ premiership, where she now trails Dakota-Lee Gillett (12) as the leading apprentice in that part of the world.
In the Top End premiership she has ridden four winners this season – along with Alice Springs rider Ianish Luximon – and trails Emma Lines (6) as the leading apprentice in the tropical north.
Although Envenomate was sitting in last place as the field of 10 were about the sweep out of the back straight at the 700m, the five-year-old gelding was travelling comfortably for Hampson in the opening race on Monday over 1200m (0-66).
Sitting seventh at the 400m mark approaching the home turn, Hampson found a gap up the middle of the track with just over 300m to go with the son of Anacheeva sprinting away to win by 2.6 lengths from Healy’s last-start winner Taipan Tommy (Wayne Davis) and Paul Gardner’s $15 chance Design Artist (Paul Shiers).
It was a welcome return to form for Envenomate, who won debut at Pioneer Park over 1200m (Class 2) on February 25 and then finished unplaced in his next two starts.
Alice Springs R1 replay – Envenomate (1st)
In the very next race, five-year-old gelding Real Valentia was able to settle in third place along the rails midway through the contest after five horses vyed for the lead over 1100m (0-62) in a frantic start.
Trevor Montgomerie’s pair Zoutons (Casey Hunter) and Fluffy Bunny Feet (Gillett) then held sway and skipped away with 600m to go, but Hampson’s mount was still in the mix despite giving the leaders a bit of a start.
Fluffy Bunny Feet ($4.80), who had won her past two starts, left her stablemate in her wake once turning for home, but after leaving the fence Real Valentia found clear air and had roughly 350m to catch the leader.
The son of Valentia gobbled up Fluffy Bunny Feet in the final 100m to win by a length, with Gardner’s $12 fancy Glacier Grey (Sonja Wiseman) finishing fast to pip Zoutons for third.
Alice Springs R2 replay – Real Valentia (1st)
Jumping from gate 10 and sitting three wide in fifth place for the first half of the Open Handicap over 1900m for those eyeing the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on April 30, Write Your Name could not have been more impressive.
The seven-year-old son of Written Tycoon had already won his last two starts in the Red Centre over 1400m (March 25) and 1600m (April 1) in open company, but the 1900m was always a query as he had never raced beyond 1600m in 46 previous starts.
Write Your Name, who won three races from as many starts at Kununurra from 1100-1300m in last August and September, is clearly in super form with the former Victorian galloper – benefitting from Hampson’s 2kg claim – running away with it in the home straight to seal victory by 3.92 lengths.
Mug’s Game (Wiseman), Nicole Irwin’s $3.20 favourite who won on debut in the Alice over 1600m (0-70) on April 1, found the lead turning out of the straight and still led turning for home before having to settle for second place when Write Your Name kicked clear at the 200m.
Kerry Petrick’s $6.50 runner Venting (Paul Debton), last year’s NT Derby (2050m) winner in Darwin, finished strongly to almost catch Mug’s Game with Halter’s $8 starter I Am The Fox (Paul Shiers), the Alice Springs Cup winner in 2021, rallying home nicely for fourth.
Alice Springs R4 replay – Write Your Name (1st)
Hampson now heads to Melbourne to represent the Northern Territory in the final heat of the 2023 National Apprentice Race Series, taking place at Sandown on Wednesday.
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