Top Territory talent ready to stride out in style as Cup competition fires up

THE Alice Springs Cup brings together a crack field of Territorians, with a capacity field competing over 2000m and all chasing the $70,000 in prizemoney today.

Gary Clarke’s pair have a strong chance in the race to take the Red Centre money back up the highway with his runners Java and Final Hearing.

The Dick Leech-trained Malaise has a big weight of 61.5kg, meaning the rest of the field gets in with very low weights because of the high rating Malaise has.

Major hometown hopes include the Terry Gillett-prepared team of Ash Grey, who won the race two years ago, and Still Justified, who’s looking to bounce back after a plain run in the Chief Minister’s Cup.

Flying Tormenta is proven at the distance and you know the mare will be storming home late for trainer John Peacock.

Lotion’s was a tough onspeed effort in the Chief Minister’s Cup last start, running a gallant second.

The other feature to round out the carnival is the Pioneer Sprint, which is run over 1200m under handicap conditions and has prizemoney of $60,000.

SavatoXL returned in brilliant fashion first-up from a break and is sure to have plenty of admirers as he takes his place in the feature.

The Will Savage-trained gelding was brilliant first-up after 10 months off in the weight-for-age sprint more than a fortnight ago and gets in well under the handicap scale with 57.5kg.

So Stoic, for Chris Pollard, was electrifying in the Lightning over 1000m last week and on the quick back-up will be in the mix.

Clarke will be trying to do the feature double with his gelding The Captain, but he has a big weight to contend with of 61.5kg, which is going to make his job hard.

Eastwood has won his past four outings and is in brilliant form, and Golden Dice (Leech) failed last start in running fourth but won eight in a row before that.