Hampson seals victory on Madam Mischief in Queen Of The Desert

[Wandering Eyes]

Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson aboard the Tayarn Halter-trained Expert Witness, whom she will partner in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on Sunday, after the pair combined to win at Alice Springs in early April. Picture: Nikki Westover Photography

Jade Hampson started riding 12 months ago and has made every post a winner having already achieved success in four different states.

The Darwin apprentice has made a serious impression in the NT, and she has already booted home winners in WA, SA and Victoria.

After heading to SA last spring to work on her craft under the guidance of Adelaide trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly, the 19-year-old returned to the Top End to ride for leading trainer Tayarn Halter and continues to go from strength to strength.

She represented the NT in the 2023 National Apprentice Race Series riding in Brisbane and Melbourne where she finished in a dead-heat for first on The Maggstar for Cranbourne trainer Tetyana Furdetska at Sandown Hillside on April 19.

During the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, Hampson has ridden numerous winners for in-form trainer Dick Leech and on Friday they once again teamed up to win the feature race at Pioneer Park.

Madam Mischief ($3.60 fav) continued her good form by taking out the $30,000 Queen Of The Desert 0-76 Handicap (1200m) for the fillies and mares when she finally shook off Paul Gardner’s gallant Design Artist (Sairyn Fawke) in the final 100m.

Victory made it eight wins from 41 starts for the five-year-old mare – the daughter of Turffontein, who has now won three of her past four starts and who was backing up after saluting over 1100m (0-70) last Saturday.

Gary Clarke’s Asahi Bearing (Jarrod Todd), Design Artist and Trevor Montgomerie’s handy Fluffy Bunny Feet (Sonja Wiseman) held sway early, but Madam Mischief wasn’t far away in fifth place.

Turning for home and with 350m to go, Design Artist kicked clear and was in good shape before he was joined out in front by Madam Mischief, who made her move after going wide approaching the final bend, with 200m to go.

It was nip and tuck between the pair, but Leech’s former Victorian galloper suddenly accelerated to seal victory by a length and a half from Design Artist ($4.40) with Fluffy Bunny Feet ($5) hanging on for third.

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Read the betting preview & racing tips for Alice Springs on Sunday here

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Kerry Petrick’s $3.80 hope Magnolia Rose (Phillip Crich), a winner over 1600m (0-66) last weekend, was a clear eighth at the 600m before rocketing home for fourth.

Leech (9) and Hampson (7) are the leading trainer and jockey after four days of the Cup Carnival.

Kym Healy (4) is the next best trainer, while Hampson is three wins clear of Ianish Luximon, Dakota-Lee Gillett and Todd in the jockey’s race with nine races scheduled on Cup Day come Sunday.

Speaking of Cup Day, Leech and Hampson could also feature prominently in the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) and $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m).

Leech’s Write Your Name (Hampson) was the $3.50 Cup favourite on Friday afternoon, while Early Crow (Jason Lyon) was a $4.80 hope in the Sprint.

Hampson, who now has 39 career wins, will partner the Halter-trained Expert Witness ($4.60) in the Sprint, who was on the next line of betting behind $3.60 equal favourites Amish Boy and Poupee.

Leech, who is also a mile in front the Alice Springs and Provincial trainer’s premiership, will also be represented by NT Guineas winner Century Fox (Kyra Yuill), $16, Lethal Encounter (Jessie Philpot), $23, and Lunch Session (Crich), $35, in the Cup.

Meanwhile, the Montgomerie-trained Oddsock (Todd) bounced back to win over 1200m (0-58) as the $2.30 betting site favourite on Friday after a dramatic episode at Pioneer Park last weekend.

Against 0-58 opposition over 1400m, Oddsock, with Casey Hunter in the saddle, reared in the gates and missed the start before exiting from the rear of the barriers and running loosely back towards the home straight.

Pulling up at the top of the home straight, Oddsock somehow avoided the other runners as they negotiated the final bend.

Dakota-Lee Gillett, yet another promising apprentice based in Alice Springs, ended the day with a winning double after piloting $2.50 favourite Eureka’s Victory home for Nicole Irwin over 1600m (BM68) and $41 outsider I’m Dun Deelin’ in an 1100m maiden for the Gardner stable.

Gillett, 17, has now ridden 14 winners for the season in the Red Centre and not only is she the leading apprentice she now sits outright third in the jockey’s premiership behind Wiseman (26) and Todd (20).

Top End apprentice Emma Lines, fresh from her first winning double at Darwin on Anzac Day, had her first win at Pioneer Park when she saluted on $4.80 pick Travanti over 1200m (0-58) for Kevin Lamprecht.

And Petrick (11) joined Greg Connor in equal third place in the trainer’s premiership behind Leech (26) when $4.20 fancy Mangione (Crich) edged Healy’s $3.10 runner Equal Balance (Wiseman) at the end of 1600m (0-58).

2023 Queen Of The Desert Race Replay – Madam Mischief (1st)

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