Eyes on the big prize

SINCE moving from the Riverina to Sydney, Rickie Alchin has built a strong reputation for being a great mentor of juvenile horses.

Not that this is the only string to his bow as Alchin also puts the polish on classy eight-year-old trotter, Tough Monarch, which resumed from a spell with an eye-catching third at Club Menangle last Saturday night.

Last year Alchin took the squaregaiter to New Zealand to contest the Inter Dominion, and while things did not pan out all that well during the series, Tough Monarch was able to win a Group One Trotters Free-For-All at Addington.

Alchin is happy with the way his team is shaping up and that he has several talented youngsters in his stable.

His main focus is on the New South Wales Breeders’ Challenge for two-year-old colts and geldings where he is preparing a two-pronged with Captain Crusader and Watts Up Sunshine.

“Captain Crusader is a lovely horse which I train for Alf La Spina,” Alchion said. “His last start second behind Tasty Delight was super and it qualified him for the semi finals of the Breeders’ Challenge.

“He had to work hard early in that race, and it took a very special horse to edge him out by a bare margin.

“Watts Up Sunshine ran third in the same race at Penrith before I took him to Tamworth two weeks ago were he was really impressive in winning by 30 metres. He was in a class of his own up there and done it so easy.

“Both these boys are very nice animals and it is full steam ahead in our quest to make our way into the rich Final.”

Alchin will take Captain Crusader to Tabcorp Park Menangle this afternoon to give him a solid hit out before his big assignment.

“It is hard taking on the older horses with a two-year-old but that is how the system works and I had no option but to race him up in grade to ensure he is fit and ready for the semi-finals,” Alchin said.

“He has drawn well in barrier one and they will know he is there.”

• MICHAEL DUMESNY