Halter on a high as Shift The Risk rockets home to take top prize

DARWIN trainer Tayarn Halter was over the moon after Shift The Risk won the feature race-seven $35,000 Imparja Television NT Guineas (1600m) at Pioneer Park yesterday.

The three-year-old and jockey Raymond Vigar have struck up a formidable partnership in recent weeks with three wins on the trot, forming an undefeated run of six races for the gelding at Alice Springs.

Shift The Risk and Vigar completed a patient race over the mile after a slow start, eventually rising to beat Kerry Petrick’s Caribbean Kisses by two-and-a-half lengths.

“I’m absolutely over the moon, couldn’t be prouder of him,” Halter told the Sunday Territorian.

“Having him from a baby and everything we’ve done with him since, I couldn’t be happier with that win.

“He was a little bit slow away, didn’t go hard straight away. A sensible ride from Raymond who took the sit when he couldn’t find the lead and that patience is what paid off. He’s a good horse, he won his first three as a two-year-old there and then we sent him down south (to the McEvoy stable) to get an education. We couldn’t be happier.”

That time in Victoria and South Australia has paid off upon Shift The Risk’s return to Pioneer Park, with Halter expecting him to do just as well in Darwin when he makes his return after Cup Day on May 3.

Other winners yesterday were: Babe In Bones (trainer Leanne Gillett, jockey Wayne Kerford), SavatoXL (Will Savage, Lorelle Crow), Culzean (Halter, Vigar), Flying Tormenta (John Peacock, Terry Treichel), Ransom Money (Dick Leech, Stan Tsaikos) and Radio Room (Greg Connor, Tsaikos).