From despair to ecstasy for Alice Springs trainer Terry Gillett

[Wandering Eyes]

Alice Springs Turf Club chairman Andrew Maloney (left) with jockey Stan Tsaikos and trainer Terry Gillett following the win by Supreme Attraction in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on April 30. (Picture: Nikki Westover Photography)

One minute you’re down in the dumps, the next you’re smelling roses.

A perfect way to describe the past year for Alice Springs trainer Terry Gillett.

The unbeaten Dakota Lee, adjudged as the Red Centre’s best sprinter in 2022, lined up in last year’s $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m) during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival, but was scratched after refusing to enter the gates.

That quashed a potential Queensland winter campaign with the daughter of Kuroshio, who has won seven from seven at Pioneer Park, spending time with Strathalbyn trainer Greg Lesnikowski to further her education.

Dakota Lee, a four-year-old mare these days, was to make her long-awaited Alice Springs return on February 18, but unfortunately the horse owned by Gillett once again declined to enter the barriers and was withdrawn.

Gillett sent the mare to the Ballarat stable of Tony and Calvin McEvoy in a bid to eradicate her aversion to the barriers and after blitzing her rivals in a 850m Ballarat jump out a few months ago there is hope Dakota Lee will shake her demons and enjoy a successful racing career.

Wind the clock 12 months forward and Gillett had reason to celebrate during the Alice Carnival when Supreme Attraction won the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) impressively on April 30.

After three wins from as many starts in Alice Springs in 2021 for Nyngan trainer Rodney Robb, the seven-year-old gelding arrived at Gillett’s stable last spring and following a first up sixth over 1100m in open company in October he saluted over 1200m in an open handicap in November.

In his next six starts, the son of Supreme Class was placed on three occasions and actually finished sixth in an open benchmark handicap over 1000m on February 18 – the same race that was to welcome back Dakota Lee.

Starting at $26 with 54.5kg, Supreme Attraction swooped late to win the Pioneer Sprint before winning over 1000m (BM75) at $4.60 lumping 61.5kg on May 28 and over 1400m (BM76) by 5.3 lengths as the $2.20 favourite with 62.5kg two weeks ago.

“Things can change in 12 months, but that’s racing,” Alice Springs Turf Club chairman Andrew Maloney said.

“You have purple patches, you have your dark moments, you have your run of outs and then you have your run of wins.

“Right now Terry’s having success, just like Dick Leech earlier this year.”

Supreme Attraction returns on Sunday in open company over 1200m and despite a 61.5kg impost he was the early $2.20 favourite with online bookmakers.

Stablemate That’s Justified, to be ridden by Gillett’s daughter Dakota-Lee, will carry 59kg courtesy of a 2kg claim, while Supreme Attraction will be spotting fellow stablemates Supreme Times and Bench Press, as well as Scott Whittle’s Liberty Blue, Greg Connor’s Flying Start and Will Savage’s Fantasy Eagle, plenty of weight.

Victorian jockey Mark Pegus, currently spending the winter in Darwin, partnered Supreme Attraction in his past two starts and retains the mount this weekend.

Pegus agreed Super Attraction was a smart horse and has intimated that he may end up in Darwin.

Fellow Victorian hoop Stan Tsaikos, a regular rider in the NT, was the winning rider in the Pioneer Sprint – he also rode Dakota Lee in most of her starts – and remarked at the time that Supreme Attraction could make an impact in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) in Darwin in August.

The last horse to win the Pioneer-Palmerston double was Gary Clarke’s Handsome Tycoon in 2016.

“Supreme Attraction has taken all before him since his Pioneer Sprint win and I can only imagine it will continue,” Maloney added.

“You’d think he would end up in Darwin and he’d have to be a live chance in any Palmerston Sprint field I would have thought.

“He’s in outstanding form and hopefully he’d be able to carry that forward north and fly the Alice Springs flag.

“Terry has three other runners in the race on Sunday and there are some other good horses in the race – they’re probably all a chance, but would need a form reversal to beat Supreme Attraction, that’s for sure.

“The Gillett family are flying at the moment, which is great to see.

“Horses trained by Terry’s wife Leanne are going well and Dakota-Lee has really hit her straps since debuting last year.”

Terry just missed defending his trainer’s premiership last season when pipped at the post by Lisa Whittle and has saddled 11 winners this season.

Leanne, an Alice Springs Cup winning trainer with Ash Grey, has eight wins for the 2022/23 campaign, while Dakota-Lee (19) sits outright third in the jockey’s premiership behind Sonja Wiseman (26) and Jarrod Todd (21).

Leech (27) is a runaway leader in the trainer’s premiership.

There are five races at Pioneer Park on Sunday and with 35 acceptors Maloney is pleased that numbers are still holding up since Cup Carnival and especially on the eve of the Darwin Carnival.

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