Petrick, Denton eye unique Red Centre achievement

[Wandering Eyes]

Paul Denton and Kerry Petrick, currently the leading jockey and trainer in the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership, celebrate after combining to win the 2022 NT Derby (2050m) with Venting at Darwin’s Fannie Bay.

They’ve won 123 races together, but trainer Kerry Petrick and jockey Paul Denton have never claimed the Alice Springs and Provincial premiership in the same season.

When five-year-old mare Princess Pancakes, with Denton aboard, saluted at Pioneer Park on April 20, Petrick hit the front in the trainers’ premiership with 18.5 wins to surpass Paul Gardner (18).

Petrick, born and raised in Alice Springs, kicked off her training career in 1996, but she has never won the Red Centre premiership.

Denton, an NT racing ornament since 1983, has celebrated success in the Top End and Country Premiership when based in Darwin and has won the Alice Springs title twice.

He leads the 2023/24 premiership with 19 wins over Jessie Philpot (15) and currently sits on 498 wins at Pioneer Park.

For Petrick and Denton to seal the Alice Springs titles would be fitting, as they have won a plethora of NT features, including the Alice Springs Cup with Mister Cheval (1999) and He’s Here (2009).

When Petrick won her first race with Better Western in Darwin in February 1997, Denton was the jockey.

The pair are good friends and are part of a group that spent this week at the Warrnambool Carnival.

They return to Alice Springs on Sunday, where Princess Pancakes, as well as four-year-old geldings Flash Fiorente and Soonali, will step out at Pioneer Park.

“I think the best of mine is Princess Pancakes coming off her last win, she’s come ahead really well,” Petrick said.

Denton agreed, especially as the mare finished second on three straight occasions before her last start win over 1400m.

“You’d have to give Princess Pancakes a chance – she probably should have won on Cup Day – she’s drawn well to sit on the pace and run out a strong mile,” he said.

“Kerry and I had a break from early September until mid-November after Kununurra, we’ve had a good run these past few months.”

With the Alice Springs Cup Day normally taking place in early May before the Carnival was brought forward this year, Petrick and Denton never had the opportunity to attend the Warrnambool Carnival.

“Previously, Warrnambool started after Alice Springs Cup Day when it was on a Monday,” Petrick said.

“We decided to make the most of it this year and so far it’s been absolutely wonderful.

“We’ve run into a lot of people we know in the racing industry.”

Denton said: “We actually spent a couple of days at Grampians, just outside Stawell, where we have owners are based.”

During the revamped Alice Springs Carnival, Petrick won the Cup with Venting, and Denton won the Pioneer Sprint on Mathematics for SA trainer Kym Healy.

Petrick and Denton ended the Carnival with five wins.

“I don’t think it worked bringing the Carnival forward a month, they didn’t get the crowds or the big fields,” he said.

“I don’t like the idea of having the Sprint on Saturday and the Cup on Sunday.

“If you’ve got that spare day, there’s every chance horses can back up.”

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