Gillett family ends 2022 in style in Alice Spring racing

[Wandering Eyes]

It has been a successful December in Alice Springs for the Gillett family with trainer Terry, daughter and apprentice jockey Dakota-Lee, and wife and fellow trainer Leanne all experiencing good fortune at Pioneer Park.

The Gillett family will enjoy Christmas after tasting success during the two race meetings hosted by the Alice Springs Turf Club in December.

Terry Gillett is firmly established as one of the leading Red Centre trainers and sealed the 2020/21 Alice Springs and Provincial trainer’s premiership before coming second behind Lisa Whittle when the 2021/22 campaign ended.

Wife Leanne, who trained Ash Grey to victory in the 2018 Alice Springs Cup (2000m), is back training after 16 months off following the 2021 Alice Springs Cup Carnival.

Daughter Dakota-Lee started her career as an apprentice jockey in July and apart from winning two races from 32 career rides at her home base of Pioneer Park the 17-year-old also had the opportunity to ride at Dubbo and Coonamble in NSW in October.

Taking time-off at the start of the 2022/23 season to help Dakota-Lee find her feet in NSW after spending time with the Damien Lane stable at Wyong, Terry celebrated a winning double on Sunday at the final Alice Springs meeting of the year when Supreme Times and City Jet saluted.

It was an impressive effort by Supreme Times ($11) in open company over 1200m as the race had assembled a very strong field, but with top Darwin jockey Jarrod Todd in the saddle the seven-year-old gelding was too good.

Settling in sixth place, the son of Supreme Class circled the field once turning for home and although sitting five wide with other front-runners vying for victory he managed to prevail after edging out Paul Gardner’s ever-consistent $7 chance Roughly (Lek Maloney) by a head.

Terry’s other runner in the race, Supreme Attraction ($11), was ridden by Dakota-Lee, who can still claim 4kg, and after being well adrift in the eight-horse affair the seven-year-old gelding motored home to finish third ahead of Flying Start, Alice Spring’s Horse of the Year for 2022.

Supreme Times was 11th in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival on May 1, but he proved on the weekend that he is perhaps one to watch when the biggest race for the sprinters in Central Australia rolls around in 2023.

Bench Press ($3.30), trained by Leanne, was sixth behind Supreme Times and it was the first time the five-year-old gelding had not finished either first or second in 11 starts in the Red Centre since arriving from Victoria.

Terry started off training Bench Press when he debuted in the Alice in September last year before racing in Leanne’s name in late October.

It was only two weeks ago that Bench Press was a last start winner over 1400m (BM76), with Roughly and Supreme Times filling the minor placings.

Following Supreme Times’ triumph, Terry didn’t have to wait long to make it back to back wins when six-year-old mare City Jet (Todd) ended a long drought by rolling 0-58 opposition over 1200m.

A last start winner at Pioneer Park for previous trainer Trevor Montgomerie, from Port Augusta, on April 2, the daughter of Wandjna finished third on four occasions in her next nine starts before making it four wins from 42 career starts.

City Jet ($7.50) sat behind leading trio Madam Mischief ($4 fav with online bookmakers), ridden by Dakota-Lee for trainer Dick Leech, The Last Charge ($4.80) and Esashi ($4.40), trained by Leanne, before the former NSW and SA galloper made her move in the home straight.

After sitting three wide out in front, the in-form Esashi (Stan Tsaikos) pinched a break, but City Jet was full of running with Terry’s horse edging out Leanne’s horse in the battle of the Gilletts by just under a length.

Esahi raced for Terry when the four-year-old mare arrived from Victoria before Leanne took the reins.

Whittle’s $10 fancy Envy Me (Paul Denton) was a clear last with 800m to go before flashing home for third place, while Dakota-Lee’s mount Madam Mischief was sixth.

It was August 6 when Leanne resumed training and apart from Bench Press, she has also had three other wins with Brat (twice) and Esashi – and has trained one more winner than Terry this season.

For the record, Leanne’s record this season is 28-4-6-2-4 and after returning to work on October 29 the record for Terry is 11-3-1-3-1.

Meanwhile, Dakota-Lee rode her second winner on Sunday after guiding the Paul Gardner-trained eight-year-old gelding Fair Go ($2.10 fav) to victory in the opening event over 1600m (0-64).

It was back to back wins for Fair Go after saluting over 1400m (BM54) for top Darwin jockey Sonja Wiseman a fortnight ago – and the teenager produced a wonderful ride.

The former Victorian galloper missed the start, but once turning into the back straight Fair Go made ground effortlessly to sit outside Fantasy Eagle ($4), Real Devine ($4.40) and Elementae ($26) with The Chaplain ($7) holding sway out in front.

Down the side and approaching the final bend turn Fantasy Eagle (Ianish Luximon), camped on the rails, and Fair Go set sail after The Chaplain (Denton) and once straightening for home the trio battled it for the remaining 300m.

The Chaplain (55kg) continued to give cheek along the fence and Fantasy Eagle (57.5kg), who was sandwiched between the pair, appeared to have momentum on his side before Fair Go (52.5kg) skipped clear on the outside to prevail by just under a length.

Returning to action with five rides after recovering from a leg injury suffered in a recent car accident, it wasn’t a bad day for Dakota-Lee after finishing third on Supreme Attraction for her dad and also coming third on Gardner’s Hard Work Rewards ($9) behind Lethal Encounter over 1400m (Class 2).

Her other ride was on Gardner’s $4 favourite Miss McGregor, who missed the start and never fired a shot finishing seventh in a race over 1100m (0-58) that Will Savage’s $4.60 runner Mackinaw (Tsaikos) never looked like losing after hitting the front 600m from home.

Dakota-Lee, who managed two seconds in Dubbo on October 29, had her first win on Hard Work Rewards, trained by Leah Walling-Denton at the time, on August 20 after having her first career start on Policy (seventh) for her dad on July 17.

It has been an encouraging start to the teenager’s career with a record of 32-2-5-4-4.

No doubt, a win on a horse trained by either mum or dad is high on the agenda in 2023.

Finally, the Gilletts remain hopeful that the unbeaten Dakota Lee, named after Dakota-Lee, will endure further success when Alice Springs’ Sprinter of the Year for 2022 makes her comeback next year.

Dakota Lee, trained by Terry, is seven from seven in Alice Springs and hasn’t featured since refusing to enter the barrier for the $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m) on April 16.

The four-year-old mare, second in a 950m trial Murray Bridge on July 14 with Dakota-Lee on board, looked set to make her return on Sunday after she was nominated for the race that ultimately went to Supreme Times.

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