www.ntnews.com.au Saturday, March 9, 2013. NT NEWS. 43

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NTNE-WS-DA-TE:9-MGE:43 CO-LO-R: C-M Y-K

SPECIAL GUEST Lauren

Jackson

This is strictly a black tie event which includes a 3-course meal and beverages

Tickets available from NT Major Events Company Box Office on 8999 5256

FRIDAY 22nd MARCHARAFURA BALLROOM,

HOLIDAY INN ESPLANADE

$120 PER PERSON TABLES x 10: $1200

TICKETS ON SALE!

CO-HOSTSCharlie King &

Danny McMaster

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Veteransprimedfor Superday outFLEMINGTON

ByRAYTHOMAS

OWNER Lloyd Williamsand trainer Bart Cummingsare synonymous with suc-cess at Flemington.

It is usually the first Tues-day in November that theyare celebrating, with Wil-liams having raced fourMelbourne Cup winners,while Cummings has train-ed a record 12 winners of thenation’s famous race.

But this time the two vet-erans of the turf are hopingto experience that familiarFlemington winning feelingon Super Saturday today.

Williams will be repre-sented by Green Moon,Mourayan and Tanby in theGroup 1 $1 million Austral-ian Cup (2000m), a race hewon previously with Zipp-ing in 2010.

Green Moon, who gaveWilliams his fourth Mel-bourne Cup last spring, ex-cels at Flemington and isearly $3.90 TAB fixed oddsfavourite for today’s race.

‘‘He is the pick of our run-ners,’’ Williams said. ‘‘Hisfirst-up run (fourth to AllToo Hard in the FuturityStakes) was very good; whywouldn’t Brett Prebble wantto come back and ride him?’’

Green Moon is attemptingto become only the fifth Mel-bourne Cup winner to claimthe Australian Cup.

Cummings has won 13Australian Cups but doesn’thave a runner in today’s bigrace. Instead the Hall ofFame trainer saddles up$1.90 favourite Norzita inthe Group 2 $220,000Kewney Stakes (1400m).

Norzita won the Group 1Flight Stakes at Randwickduring the spring but didnot race again until her bril-liant first-up win in the Ty-phoon Tracy Stakes atMoonee Valley last month.

‘‘She was jarring up onthe hard tracks in the springbut she is fine at the mo-ment,’’ Cummings said.

‘‘Whether she is an Oaksfilly, time will tell. I’mpretty sure she will run amile and a quarter (2000m)at least.’’

Williams and Cummingsclash of sorts in the finalrace, the appropriately na-med Listed $120,000 SuperSaturday Stakes (1400m),with the owner’s Fawknertopweight and $2.70 favour-ite, while the trainer’s for-mer German stayer Sanagasis a $101 outsider.

Gardner hussles speedster south in bid for victoryALICE Springs trainerPaul Gardner’s decision togo south with speedycustomer Onthehussle will beexamined at MorphettvilleParks today.

The five-year-old has beenbanging on the door without

landing an elusive win onhome soil of late, so Gardnerelected to try a change ofscenery in a bid for a winningresult. Leading Alice Springsapprentice Kacie Connorwill claim 3kg aboardOnthehussle, who contests

the $25,000 Pickles AuctionsRating 75 Handicap (1000m).

The race also contains theDarwin-owned galloper RaIkane, prepared by formerTop End trainer Louis Paech.

Fellow Territory-ownedgallopers Generous Beau and

Our Iridium are engaged inearlier races on the card.

Former Palmerston Sprintwinner Sense Of Sun conteststhe Carbine Club Rating 86Handicap (1400m), with theRed Centre-prepared IntoThe Sun also engaged.

Last year’s NT Derbywinner The Third Basemanis the top-weight for the day’slast race, while 2008 DarwinCup-winning jockey NathanStanley has a pair of rides onthe card.

—GREGORMACTAGGART

After 20 years, Bruce eyes second Chipping NortonWARWICK FARM

BRUCE Wallace insists hecan’t take too much credit forhis only Chipping NortonStakes win.

And the New Zealandtrainer already seems happyto deflect any praise whichmight come his way shouldhe make it a second win inthe Group 1 race with KingMufhasa today.

It’s been 20 years since Wal-lace successfully saddled upKingston Bay as an inexperi-enced three-year-old withhardly a dollar of prize-money to his name against afield of stars.

‘‘Kingston Bay ran secondin the Hobartville Stakes and(Randwick trainers) Jimmyand Greg Lee talked me intorunning him in the ChippingNorton,’’ Wallace said.

‘‘They said I wouldn’t haveto worry about galloping himduring the week.’’

But Wallace says he startedto regret his decision as therunners were being loadedinto the starting stalls.

‘‘They said $20 million-something in stakes this fieldhas won and I looked down atmy racebook and saw King-ston Bay with $17,000,’’Wallace said.

‘‘And $10,000 or $11,000 ofthat he had won the week be-fore. I thought what the hellam I doing in this race.’’

There promises to be muchless second-guessing withKing Mufhasa despite the vet-eran frontrunner only find-ing his way into Wallace’sstable a few weeks ago.

‘‘I haven’t had him long buthe’s a good old horse,’’Wallace said.

‘‘He travels and after hewent from Melbourne to Syd-ney on the float, he hasn’t leftan oat.’’

King Mufhasa won 10Group 1 races under StephenMcKee and the old-timer’s ob-vious race craft ensures Wal-lace has to manage ratherthan nurture the horse.

‘‘He’s got his issues, he getsa bit arthritic but he’s a realracehorse,’’ Wallace said.

Jockey Paul Shiers will renew his association with Lucid Reflection at Fannie Bay today

Dynamicduo backtogetherHORSERACING

ByGREGORMACTAGGART

FANNIE Bay will be thescene for the return of tworenowned Territory racingfigures today.

Eminent jockey PaulShiers and speedster LucidReflection reunite for thefeature Corestaff Benchmark71 Handicap (1100m).

Both have played majorparts in Territory horseracing history.

Shiers is one of the greatbig-race jockeys with arecord featuring five wins inthe Darwin Guineas, threeNT Derby triumphs and thattriumvirate of PalmerstonSprint wins.

Lucid Reflection is bestremembered as the onlyhorse in the modern era toboast victories in the Pioneerand Palmerston Sprints onhis resume.

But that is history, withtoday marking the returnof both horse and jockeyfollowing layoffs.

Lucid Reflection’s lastappearance came when sixthin August’s PalmerstonSprint (1200m), while for

Shiers it is his first race ridesince September.

‘‘It’s going to be good to beback,’’ Shiers said.

‘‘I’ve been riding track-work all the way throughapart from a week offover Christmas.

‘‘I’m probably in the sameboat as him (Lucid) —we’re probably both in needof the hitout and willboth improve.’’

The handicapper certainlyhasn’t missed the pair’sreturn, giving Lucid Reflec-tion a 65kg impost.

‘‘(Trainer) Dick (Leech)joked I’ve been influencingthe handicapper, because I’mabout 62kg at the moment,’’Shiers said.

‘‘To have 65kg first-up is abig task for him, he’ll havehis work cut out for him,especially against a fit, formhorse in Herculean.’’

Herculean, who has wonthree of his past four starts,gets 8kg off Lucid Reflection,while It’s Home, Rock Jesterand Cosmic Vision round outthe field.

The race is the featureevent of a five-race program,with racing from 3.28pm.