Trainer-driver Jarrod Alchin.
ACE Menangle trainer Jarrod Alchin is ready to unleash some of his big guns in this afternoon’s Breeders Challenge heats at Tabcorp Park Menangle.
Alchin’s stable has been in irresistible form in recent weeks, coinciding with run by drivers’ premiership front-runner, Cameron Hart.
Alchin has had a few drives in recent weeks, but admits he prefers the training side of things and is happy to step aside and leave the driving to Hart, who now has 136 winners for the season and holds a comfortable 16-win lead over Jack Trainor.
One of Alchin’s potential stars, My Ultimate Byron, unbeaten in five starts, including three at Menangle, will start prohibitive odds in Race 4, the first of two heats for the two-year-old colts and geldings.
Hart has driven My Ultimate Byron in all five of those wins as well as three trial successes before that and has a big opinion of the gelded son of Somebeachsomewhere.
The race won’t be much of a betting proposition for punters as My Ultimate Byron has been posted a $1.04 favourite after drawing perfectly in gate three to register an all-the-way win.
Alchin also has My Ultimate Cobber (Chris Geary) in the race, raced in the same interests as ‘Byron’ and with two wins from seven starts is probably the only youngster capable of giving the favourite some cheek.
Alchin will then focus on the second of the two-year-old ‘boys’ heats when he puts the hopples on My Ultimate Skeeta, yet another Tumby Park-owned youngster, who might have his work cut out adding to his handy record of a win and two placings from just five starts.
Three other outstanding youngsters may dominate this heat.
Queensland trainer Grant Dixon has polemarker Leap To Fame ($4), who already has six wins from eight starts, including his last four in succession.
In-form horseman Brian Portelli also has the talented Smaltese ($1.85 favourite) in the race and looking to make amends after an untimely gallop cost him any chance in a Breeders Challenge heat at Penrith.
Smaltese has since made amends with a trial win at Menangle.
And to top it all off, Menangle trainer Pete Russo has the impressive Mahomes in the same heat and despite defeats at both starts since resuming from a spell, has won two races at Menangle and has the services of Trainor to ensure he’s in the mix today.
