The big day is here! Ladbrokes Alice Springs Cup Day is the culmination of a nine meetings in the Red Centre in successive weeks, and brings together the best middle-distance gallopers on offer to clash over the 2000m of the Cup, which is always run at breakneck speed, with the current track record recorded at less than two minutes.

The Cup, worth $120,000 this year for the first time (up from $110,000 in recent years), has attracted a full field of 12 with one emergency, Rock Revolution, who was to take his chance in the three and four-year-old event on Saturday with a view to backing up in the Cup should he get a run. If he does not gain a run, he is also an acceptor in the Great Northern Handicap over the same trip for 0-70 gallopers.

A mix of locals, Darwin-trained runners and a live chance from Adelaide make up the Cup field, with the topweight and likely favourite being Wolfburn, who has finished second, third and fourth in the last three Darwin Cups over 2050m. Interestingly, this is his first campaign that has included an AS Cup Carnival, and it is fair to say his preparation for the big one has not been all smooth sailing. He had a foot injury in Darwin, where he is trained by Gary Clarke, through the early part of the year and once he had recovered from that, had two sprint lead-ups over 1100m there before trekking to the Red Centre in early April.

He then had another sprint run, over 1000m, here on 18 April and not surprisingly, finished down the track behind Rewards And More and company. However, his lead-up to this big assignment in the Chief Minister’s Cup over 1600m on 25 April was a much-improved effort – in fact, he bolted in over his favoured trip by 5.5 lengths from another of his rivals today, Venting.

His regular rider Jarrod Todd was able to lead and control that event, and he skipped well clear over the concluding stages to score handsomely. He promises to be very hard to beat again and even with an unorthodox preparation, it would be folly to believe that he could not pull it off if all goes well on the day.

However, in a field with a number of chances, I favour Maxxi Bon to come out on top in what should be a fascinating clash.

Maxii Bon, trained by Chris Nash in Darwin but in the care of Terry Gillett for this AS target, ran second in the St Pat’s Cup in the Top End in mid-March before a fourth-placed effort over the same 1600m on 14 March. He then had his only start in Alice when coming from many lengths off the lead on the home turn to storm home over 1900m to win going away from Grinzinger Bishop and company a fortnight ago. He has continued to thrive in the Red Centre and with the minimum weight of 54kg, a whopping 7kg less than Wolfburn, he should be hitting the line hard and will prove very hard to beat. There appears to be a sense of timing about him and Dakota Gillett, who rode last time, knows the chestnut well and retains the ride.

SA visitor Exalted Fire will be having his third attempt at the AS Cup, and he has not been far away in his first two tries, finishing third to Venting in 2024 before finishing fifth, beaten nine lengths, behind Hasseltoff last year. His lead-up form in Adelaide has been sound, with a fine third at his most recent run over 1950m at Morphettville on 18 April. He will have the services of Dom Tourneur, who has ridden no less than six AS Cup winners, and is trained by Michael Hickmott, who saddled up Lieder to score in the event back in 2019, so his credentials are clear for all to see. He is in on the minimum and promises to give a bold showing.

Vanguard Legend, who has a real liking for this track (he has had three starts for two wins and a fourth) and comes off a last-start win here a fortnight ago over 1600m, cannot be left out of calculations. Chloe Baxter’s 4yo, the Darwin Guineas winner and runner-up in the NT Derby last year, has strengthened and matured and with Raymond Vigar again aboard, he will be there when the whips are cracking.

Venting, who won this race two years ago, is racing as well as ever and the 7yo leads a strong hand in the race for trainer Kerry Petrick, who has no less than three runners engaged. Venting, to be ridden by apprentice Lek Maloney who seems to get on well with the son of Star Witness, won over 1600m on 11 April and then chased hard behind Wolfburn in the Chief Minister’s a week ago. The step up to 2000m will be very much to his liking – he has won twice at the distance previously.

Petrick’s other pair, Magic Defense and Our Couver, will be attempting this distance for the very first time but both are consistent types with claims here. Active Duty and Leveraged Buyout represent the Dick Leech stable and are another pair with definite chances. Active Duty has had three runs in Alice and is another who will be favoured by the increase in trip, while Leveraged Buyout, who was to run in the three and four-year-old 1600m on Saturday, has done everything right so far and the Guineas winner, should he back up here, cannot be discounted, especially with Jason Lyon to do the steering.

Ichiban, the second of the Clarke pair, was very good here a fortnight ago when just going down to Vanguard Legend, and is another who will be favoured by the 2000m of the Cup. Paul Shiers, one of the best in the business for the last 25 years in the NT, will be aboard and Ichiban, on his best Queensland form, would definitely give this a shake. Grinzinger Bishop, who was collared late by Maxii Bon in the 1900m on 18 April, is another in the mix, while Valimi completes the line-up and judged on his first-up run on the track on 11 April, would need to improve but probably can.

The weather in Alice Springs continues to be perfect, with good days and cooler nights and mornings. The official forecast for today is: Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning. The temperature is forecast to reach a pleasant 23 degrees during the day, and it will be a chilly 9 degrees overnight. There is a 20% chance of a shower but that is highly unlikely.

The first race on the bumper nine-race card gets underway at 12.24pm (NT time), which is 12.54pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.20pm (NT time), or 5.50pm in New South Wales and Victoria. All races are to be telecast on Sky 1.

BEST BETS

R1 # 4 REVOLUTION RISING
Good third here a week ago behind Game Cove, and scratched from Saturday after a wide draw. Has an ideal barrier for this and Paul Denton has the steer for Greg Connor, whose team has been in good form during the Carnival. Surprisingly has yet to win over this trip of 1100m but has gone some good races at the journey and in an even field to start the day, will give this a real shake.

R4 # 2 VORONYA
Made a big impression when bolting in here at his first start in the Red Centre against similar opposition on 25 April. Denton and Connor team up again and the way in which he strode clear of Highstrung and Our Squamosa over 1100m augurs well for this 1200m. The son of Earthlight looks a promising type and can go back-to-back in the 3yo sprint.

R9 # 12 MAXXI BON
Was very strong late over 1900m a fortnight ago when coming from many lengths off the leader on the home turn. Gets back in his races so ideally will want the Cup run at a fast pace, which it invariably is. By all accounts is really enjoying the cooler AS weather and Dakota Gillett takes the mount again for Chris Nash. Gets a big pull in the weights from the toppie, and with a clear shot at them over the last 400m, will be right there in the finish.

SELECTIONS

LADBROKES PIONEER PARK (ALICE SPRINGS) – GOOD
RACE 1 – 4, 7, 1, 2
RACE 2 – 1, 4, 5, 7
RACE 3 – 2, 3, 4, 8
RACE 4 – 2, 6, 7, 3
RACE 5 – 1, 3, 5, 2
RACE 6 – 4, 3, 10, 8
RACE 7 – 4, 1, 8, 6
RACE 8 –3, 1, 2, 11
RACE 9 – 12, 1, 5, 6

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