Denton hails ‘wily’ Leech after Alice Springs treble

[Wandering Eyes]

NT trainer Dick Leech, who has stables in Darwin and Alice Springs, is currently based in the Red Centre and was certainly the star attraction at Pioneer Park on Saturday. (Picture: Nikki Westover Photography)

NT trainer Dick Leech enjoyed time off over the festive period, but his desire to seek more wins bore fruit on Saturday when he landed a treble on the four-race card at Alice Springs.

Lethal Encounter (Jarrod Todd) got the ball rolling in the opening race over 1200m (Class 2), with the five-year-old gelding making it consecutive wins after saluting over 1400m (Class 2) on December 18.

After missing the jump last start before producing a miraculous finish, Lethal Encounter ($2.70 fav) butchered the start once again to round the field to seal a comfortable win over Will Savage’s $3.40 hope The Last Charge (Emma Lines) and Paul Gardner’s $4.80 chance Nordic Lass (Dakota-Lee Gillett).

In the next race, Madam Mischief (Sonja Wiseman) won her first race at the 10th attempt for Leech with the five-year-old mare settling out in front with stablemate Superior Power ($11) before prevailing over 1100m (BM54).

Instead of hitting the wall, Madam Mischief found her second wind with 100m to go and proved too good for Terry Gillett’s $4.80 hopeful City Jet (Dakota-Lee Gillett) and Savage’s $11 runner Speed Wheel (Emma Lines).

Miracoli ($10), who won his first race on debut for Leech in an 1100m Alice maiden in April 2021, hadn’t ran a place in his next seven starts in the NT and WA, before producing an upset win in the last over 1400m (0-58).

After sharing the lead with Lisa Whittle’s Pembroke Castle ($3.90), Miracoli (Jarrod Todd) sat outside Gardner’s $1.65 favourite and leader Fair Go (Sonja Wiseman) before they skipped away with Leech’s five-year-old gelding going on to claim a big win.

Alice Springs R4 replay | 28/1/2023 | Miracoli (1st)

Although Write Your Name (Jarrod Todd), who started at $8.50, found the competition too hot in Saturday’s feature won by Roughly, it was a good day for Leech.

He cleaned up with nine winners at the three Kununurra meetings in WA in late August and early September, which included five winners on Cup Day.

READ: Leech lands another five-for on Kununurra Cup Day

Leech actually won the $32,500 Kununurra Cup with Lunch Session, and remarkably it was the second time he landed five winners on Cup Day, after achieving the feat in 2016.

Before last weekend, Leech had recorded just three wins in both Darwin and Alice Springs after his WA sojourn.

Like every other trainer, form fluctuates, and Leech has started the year in style – and long-serving NT hoop Paul Denton couldn’t be happier for him.

“Yes, you would say that Dick is a wily old character,” Denton said.

“He’s a very hard worker, I don’t know when he sleeps.

“Gets up and does his horses, he’s got his concreting business as well.

“He calls a spade a spade.

“He’s not afraid to give you a spray – at least he gets it over and done with and he can move on.

“I’ve always got on pretty well with Dick, even though he seems like a cranky old fella at times, but he’s very kind-hearted and he’ll do anything for anyone.”

Relocating from Darwin to Alice Springs to ride for the successful Lisa Whittle stable, Denton added that Leech deserves success.

“He probably puts more money into racing than anyone else here,” he said.

“He’s doing his stabling complex here in Alice – he does everything that’s best for his horses.

“Dick’s even talking about building a water walker down here for other people to use as well.

“If he gets that done, that will be an asset to Alice Springs racing.

“Whenever you ride one of Dick’s first-up you know it’s going to be fit.

“He puts some work into them, you always know that even first up they’re going to be hard to beat.

“I’ve ridden quite a few winners for him.”

A lot of interstate horses end up in the NT and Leech is constantly in the market.

“He’s always finding them – he probably buys a lot of duds too, but he buys a lot of good ones,” Denton said.

“That grey horse Kerioth, I haven’t seen a more impressive win (January 21) for a long time coming into (Alice Springs Cup) Carnival time – he has been very impressive.

“When you spend so much money you’re going to get a decent one here and there.

“You’ve got to be able to train them too, which he can do.

“I think Dick will be hanging around for a while yet.”

Leech has enjoyed plenty of success in the NT features over the years, which includes winning the 2008 Darwin Cup at Fannie Bay by 13 lengths with Club Liquid.

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