Kerioth returns after impressive first up Alice Springs win

[Wandering Eyes]

Veteran Northern Territory trainer Dick Leech, who has stables in Darwin and Alice Springs, with Darwin-based jockey Casey Hunter after both combined for a win at Pioneer Park in the Red Centre (Picture: Nikki Westover Photography)

Like most Northern Territory trainers, Dick Leech has an eye on the future and is already planning for the Alice Springs Cup Carnival in April.

The Alice Springs Turf Club’s extravaganza, which accommodates five meetings, starts on April 8 before concluding with the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) and Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on April 30.

Leech, who has stables in Darwin and Alice Springs, is busily preparing a team for the Cup Carnival and two horses that could make an impression come the autumn will be on deck on Saturday when the Red Centre hosts its first meeting for 2023.

He isn’t counting his chickens just yet, but Leech has a high opinion of new purchases Kerioth and Barani.

Kerioth, who was emphatic en route to victory in his Red Centre debut on December 18, lines up in the $20,475 Ladbrokes Market Control 0-70 Handicap (1100m) – the feature race on the five-event program.

Russell Bell’s Delago Lad (Dan Morgan), Greg Connor’s Miles Prower (Jessie Philpot), and Lisa Whittle’s stablemates Cyclonite (Sonja Wiseman) and Mighty Murt (Paul Denton) are above average and will take on Kerioth, who will surely start as favourite if his last start performance is any guide.

The five-year-old grey-chesnut gelding, with top Darwin jockey Jarrod Todd in the saddle, jumped from the inside gate over 1100m (0-70) and sat on the fence behind the leaders Intercontinental and Delago Lad before flexing his muscles.

Leaving the fence with 500m to go, Kerioth ($5.50) circled the leading pair and hit the front once turning for home before posting a comfortable two and a half length win over Delago Lad, who had won four races from as many starts after arriving in the Alice.

Leech, who is eyeing the Palmerston Sprint with the son of Zebedee, purchased the horse on-line from Kyneton trainer George Osborne and he certainly had tongues wagging five weeks ago as winning first up in the NT is no easy task.

“He goes alright, mate, yeah – he’s already paying for himself,” Leech said from Alice Springs on Friday.

“He’s a pretty plain horse, he just does what he has to do.

“I actually saw him when he won a race at Avoca in Victoria and they called it a no race because the barrier was in the wrong place.

“He won that by about eight lengths, and he looked good in his first race in Alice.

“He hit the dirt well and looked good in the running, it wasn’t too bad, and they’re alright when they can do that.

“Also, he wasn’t pushed out the other day.”

Kerioth, who had 16 starts for three wins in Victoria, won with ease first up in Central Australia and is tipped to make an impact once again on Saturday.

“He should go alright again tomorrow,” Leech said.

“Toddy’s (Jarrod Todd) back on him and then I might give him a let up and bring him back for the Sprint.

“I’ll just see what happens tomorrow, I suppose.”

Barani, a three-year-old bay or brown gelding, has only had five starts with Leech purchasing the horse from the James Cummings stable.

After finishing 10th in his first career start at Canterbury in January last year, Barani headed to Victoria and had a further four starts with his best result a fourth in an 1100m maiden on the synthetic surface at Ballarat last June.

Barani hasn’t raced since coming sixth in a 1200m maiden at Moe in November and Leech has already identified the NT Guineas (1600m) in April during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival.

There’s also the Darwin Guineas (1600m) and NT Derby (2050m) in the Top End come July.

Barani will line up in a 1000m maiden at Pioneer Park on Saturday and despite having the services of Todd in the 11 horse field he will jump from the outside gate.

“He’s a Guineas horse, a Derby horse,” Leech said.

“He’s by Street Boss – he’s been working alright.

“It’s a very ordinary race too on Saturday when you look at it on paper.

“I still say Barani needs 1200m, 1400m or the mile.

“I bought him as a Guineas horse, hopefully that will be the case.”

Leech’s other runners on Saturday include Miracoli (Todd) over 1100m (0-58), as well as Madam Mischief (Todd), a genuine hope, and Superior Power (Phillip Crich) over 1000m (BM54).

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