The Centralian advocate Tue 28 Nov 2006
Centralian Advocate; NewspaperNT
2006-11-28
This publication contains may contain links to external sites. These external sites may no longer be active.
English
Community newspapers; Northern Territory; Alice Springs; Tennant Creek (N.T.); Newspapers; Alice Springs (N.T.); Australia, Central
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Alice Springs
v. 60 no. 54
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00160
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/233196
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/658437
Centralian Advocate, Tuesday, November 28, 2006 29 PU B : C A D V D A T E : 28 -N O V -2 00 6 PA G E : 29 C O L O R : C M Y K SPORTSPORT Very Strange gallops to lead RACING By ADAM OLSZANSKI IT has taken galloper Very Strange four years to score his first victory. But since breaking the bar rier the veteran has become one of the Red Centres most consistent gallopers. AtSaturdaysPioneerPark meeting the gelding scored its seventh career win its first in open company and almost a year to the day after scoring its maiden victory as a seven-year-old. Ridden by Darwin hoop Barry Huppatz, it beat home last-startwinnersGoldHawk and the $1.70 favourite Green Machine. The triumph took the Jami Huish-trained gallopers career prizemoney to a win short of the $50,000 mark. Since arriving in Alice Springs, the former New South Wales galloper has thrived in its new environment. From 23 starts in the Northern Territory, Very Strange has earned his connections a cheque on all bar three occasions. The long-striding sprinter has also recorded some of the biggest wins seen in recent years at Pioneer Park. The gelding scored its class one victory by seven lengths, and almost won by the same distance when winning a class four in July. Very Strange started the $3.20 second pick in the feature on Saturday and on its recent efforts had demonstrated that its next victory wouldnt be too far away. Beaten The son of Vettori was only narrowly beaten at its last two assignments, which were both also in open class. A win that did surprise some punters however was the success of Peppery in the last race. The maiden galloper racing out of its grade in a class one proved to be too strong for its opposition, winning over 1400m. Also a former NSW galloper, Peppery had shown a liking for the seven-furlong trip. From its last five starts over the trip, the Donna Wehr-prepared five-year-old had been in the placings four times. One of the outsiders of the nine-horse field, Pepperywas sent around at $18 with the bookmakers and TAB punters collecting $23.10. The win gave riding honours to Damion McIntosh who also rode the third winner, Seymour Loups. After being pipped at the post at its first start in Alice Springs, the ex-South Australian galloper broke a winning drought of almost two years. Now in the care of Lisa Lefoe, the six-year-old gelding looks likely to progress through the grades quickly and rise to the top in similar fashion to Very Strange. Pioneer Parks next race meeting is on Sunday, December 10. Form Feds upsets Works CRICKET RSL Works boss Graham Schmidt is getting tired of watching his charges pull off a last-grasp victory. After seeing Rovers off with some committed middle-order partnerships in the previous game, Works faltered against last-placed Federal Demons at Albrecht Oval on Saturday to be all out for 93 runs. Feds finished the first day of play in the XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cricket two-day premiership match at 4/42 in reply. Schmidt blames a poor mentality for jeopardising their chances of maintaining their flawless campaign. He said: Unless we have something to chase no one seems to want to do the job. Instead of putting in like they did last week, everyone had it in their minds that the next bloke would do the job. Schmidt won the toss for the second time this season, a victory he admitted has gone against the team. Feds medium pacer Bruce Thomas took advantage of the premiers lack of concentration, finishing with career best figures of 6/18 off 10 overs. The Demons took on a different look with stalwart wicket-taker Jarrod Wapper out and regular wicket-keeper Chris Clements handing the gloves over to trainee gloveman Daniel Gardiner. The changes worked with Gardiner taking two catches and his first stumping. Rovers poised despite troubles REACH OUT: Rovers Brendan Smith gets ready to turn. Picture: CHLOE ERLICH CRICKET By ANDREW ALOIA A BATTERED and under-strength Memorial Rovers smothered West at Traeger Park on the first day of their XXXX Gold Alice Springs Cricket twoday premiership match. In the absence of skipper and spearhead bowler Rory Hood,GregLouis, handy allrounder Aaron Dick and spinner Scott Nicolai, the Blues still managed to roll the Bloods for 89. In reply Rovers finished the day at 2/18 after losing opening bat Geoff Abdullah for six and damaging No. 3 Cole Cattell for three. Rovers were in trouble early with the injured Blayne Cornford insisting on bowling. He only lasted two overs before leaving the field for some treatment. Despite the make shift feel to the team, Rovers stand-in skipper Brendan Smith is confident of pulling off a win. He said: We are all very, very happy with the way it panned out. When Blayne came off with a bit of trouble it could have gone bad for us but other players stood up to do the job. The return of teenage paceman Jakob Roth was a welcome addition to the depleted bowling attack, with Roth taking 2/14 off 12 overs. Nathan Johnson took over the brunt of responsibility in the absence of Cornford, finishing with 2/26 off 15 overs and claiming the vital scalp of Northern Territory Institute of Sport opener Ben Reichstein for nine. Smith led the way with 3/14 but he praised the efforts of Roth and Johnson for plugging the gaps. He said: Nathan does everything asked of him. He stood up when we needed him this week. Smithwashoping the batting track improves by the second day of play this Saturday. Daniel moving south to keep career rising CHAMPION: Daniel Johnston in top form. MOUNTAIN BIKES By ANDREW ALOIA TERRITORY sport is set to lose another of its greats with Centralian mountain biker Daniel Johnston relocating to South Australia. Like aspiring athletes before him, the scorching Red Centre summer and lack of suitable terrain has forced the 18-year-old to look inter state. But this time around the Alice rider will make the move as a fullyfledged and supported NT Institute of Sport athlete and will continue to compete in the black and ochre. NTIS head coach and former South Australian Sports Institute rider John Pyper is proud to see off another of his proteges. New chapter The move may mark the begin ning of a new chapter for the 18-year-old but he will continue under the guidance of the Alice Springs-based coach. Pyper has called the coup to move Johnston south to train with SASI athletes a major milestone for his program. He said: Forty two degree heat and lack of hilly terrain is not conducive to Daniel at this stage of his career. Moving up to the under-23s means a massive step in training, meaning longer kilometres on the bike. That step up does not work here. Alexis Rhodes and Chris Jongewaard are the most famous pairing of Centralian cyclists to make the move to South Australia a winner. In doing so they swapped the black and ochre to fly the flag for SA instead. Johnston will not swap allegiances but will still reap the same benefits as his predecessors, factoring into SASI trainingundernewhead coach Gary West and a chance to work with national endurance coach Ian McKenzie. Pyper said: In the past many people have said that it looks like we bring athletes through only for others to reap the benefits of their success. It has never been like that but now we are setting ourselves up better to bring them right through as NTIS athletes. Johnston is excited to be making the move, escaping the heat and chasing new challenges interstate. He said: Im over the 4.30am morning starts just to escape the heat. Having the NTIS back me is really great. The Centralian admits the challenge against the elite field in under23 competition will be tough. The Australian under-19 representative had a harrowing introduction in the second round of the national cross-country series at Glenorchy Mountain Bike Park in Hobart at the weekend, finishing last. He said: I guess I can only improve from there.