Long-time Northern Territory trainer Dick Leech made it seven wins from four meetings at Pioneer Park in 2023 with three-year-old gelding Barani and five-year-old gelding Miracoli decimating their rivals on Saturday.
Champion Top End jockey Jarrod Todd partnered both horses and with 10 wins for the season joined Phillip Crich and Jessie Philpot in equal second place behind Sonja Wiseman (20) in the Alice Springs premiership standings.
It augurs well for Leech with the Alice Springs Cup Carnival fast approaching as Kerioth and Lethal Encounter are firing, while the likes of Madam Mischief, Feed The Monster, Write Your Name and Halgard haven't let the stable down.
After a successful Kununurra campaign in WA in late August and early September, Leech won a handful of races at Darwin before winning his first races of the 2022/23 campaign at Alice Springs with Kerioth and Lethal Encounter on December 18.
Kerioth, a five-year-old grey gelding by Zebedee, won a second time on January 21 and is a serious contender for the A$100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on April 30 with veteran NT jockey Paul Denton rating the Victorian galloper as one of the best to arrive in Alice Springs for many years.
Barani, yet another arrival from Victoria, hadn't won a race in five starts and was a first-up fourth at Pioneer Park in a 1000m maiden on January 21 before starring in a 1200m maiden on the weekend.
Jumping to the lead from a wide gate, Barani was never threatened and at one stage led by seven lengths at the home turn before easing up to overcome Ray Viney's Quizzle (Philpot) and Paul Gardner's Final Jedi (Dakota-Lee Gillett) by four lengths.
The lightly raced Miracoli, a first-up winner for Leech on debut in April 2021, has suddenly struck form after winning over 1400m (0-58) on January 28 before overtaking the leaders in the home straight for an emphatic four-length victory over 1400m (0-58) on Saturday.
Miracoli was highly impressive with Will Savage's Mi Mijo (Ianish Luximon) and Rene Taylor's Tycoons Dior filling the minor placings, and with a view to the future Leech has every right to feel optimistic.
“The Leech stable is ticking over well,” Alice Springs race-caller Dylan Bairstow said.
“That Barani, it will be heading towards the NT Guineas here in Alice.
“Toddy (Jarrod Todd) reckons the further it goes – if it was able to follow one – it would be even better.
“He said that Barani actually got a bit lost out in front even though it was dominating the race.
“He just rode the best horse in the race today and it was far too good for them.
“It's a nice big type of a three-year-old – been well schooled from Godolphin.
“It should be one to watch heading to the Guineas.”
Leech purchased Barani from the James Cummings stable late last year with his best result a fourth in an 1100m maiden on the synthetic surface at Ballarat last June.
After only five starts for Cummings, Leech had already identified the $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m) for Barani during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival.
There's also the Darwin Guineas (1600m) and NT Derby (2050m) in the Top End come July.
“I bought him as a Guineas horse, hopefully that will be the case,” Leech said after Barani made his Red Centre debut.
“He's by Street Boss – he's been working alright, but I still say he needs 1200m, 1400m or the mile.”
Leech has won a host of big races in the NT, including the 2008 Darwin Cup (2000m) with Club Liquid – who won by 13 lengths – and 2010 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) with Lucid Reflection.
During the three days of racing at Kununurra last year, Leech landed eight winners – including five wins on Cup Day with Lunch Session (Cup), Signor Fangio, Coin Collector, Halgard and Madam Mischief.
Amazingly, Leech achieved the same feat on Kununurra Cup Day in 2016.