Worth the Trek

Allen’s Adelaide trip pays off with another big win

JOHN Allen’s decision to head to Adelaide for this year’s carnival has reaped another big reward with the jockey claiming his second Group One win in as many weeks, this time on Trekking in The Goodwood.

Morphettville has been a happy hunting ground for the Victorian-based Irish jockey in recent seasons, with his victory in yesterday’s 1200m feature his fourth Group One success at the course.

Allen’s other three have all been in South Australian Derbys, including last Saturday on the Danny O’Brien-trained Russian Camelot.

The James Cummingstrained Trekking ($10) was already proven at the elite level having won last year’s Stradbroke Handicap in Queensland and the five-year-old gelding showed his quality and tenacity to chase down $3 favourite Gytrash. Group One Lightning Stakes winner Gytrash hit the front approaching the 200m but Trekking gave chase and got his head down on the line to score by a short half-head in a thrilling finish.

Last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre was another 1 ¾ lengths away third.

“What a great little horse,” Allen said.

“This is my first time riding him but I was surprised when I got out to the mounting yard and just realised how small he was. But he was tough.

“We had a super run. The runner-up gave a really good kick. I thought when I got out we were going to catch him. He kept kicking but to my lad’s credit he really fought and put his head down on the line.”

Allen is one of several Victorian-based jockeys who isolated for two weeks in South Australia before being able to compete in the carnival due to coronavirus protocols.