Alford's NF campaign continued with earnest on Thursday
Chris Alford “Raced for an NF Free Future” at Horsham on Wednesday afternoon and did it exactly when it counted most - with two wins and a second placing in the three heats of the SEW Eurodrive Noel Smith Memorial Invitation Drivers Championship.
Alford finished the series on 31 points, lengths ahead of his rivals with Greg Sugars (22 pts) runner-up in his first SEW Eurodrive Horsham contest and defending champion Jim Douglass tailing the elite field of drivers with just 7 points.
Alford put his name on the Noel Smith Memorial Honour Roll for a second time some 17 years after his first victory back in 1994. It was also the season that the then 25-year-old reinsman notched up his first ever century with 185.5 wins.
Alford has since stretched his string of “tons” to 17 and looks certain to record his 18th, including nine double centuries, by the end of the current season.
In Wednesday’s opening heat, Alford pushed forward early from gate 5 and led all the way with Aalyah Rose for the Roseworthy (SA) stable of Toby Ryan. The chestnut filly strolled home by nine metres from Sugars, aboard the Lance Justice trained Soldier Boy.
Heat two saw a closer finish when Justice saluted for the Michael Norman team, with the unbeaten (six from six) Grinfromeartoear gelding, Global View. Alford was only a half-neck away in second place.
The final round saw another knockout punch, courtesy of the former Kiwi gelding, The Smiler. Alford dashed the hot favourite away to score by six metres, which made it two from two in Australia for the promising, Lance Justice trained 4YO.
Alford thanked all owners and trainers for making their horses available for the 21st Horsham Invitation Championship. “Without your support the contest just doesn’t happen.”
He also acknowledged Rob Merola and SEW Eurodrive and the host of raceday sponsors which saw many trainers and drivers take home a “prize” regardless of how their horses fared.
During the presentation ceremony, Alford was fronted by the Wimmera Mail-Times mystery tipster, “Wimmera Wally” who handed over $400 in cash, from his “bank” at the Horsham Club’s West Side Tabaret Venue, for Alford’s “Racing for a NF Free Future” campaign.
President Kevin Lane, made special mention of the four interstate drivers, Matthew Neilson (Qld), Nathan Ford (Tas), Jim Douglass (NSW) and David Harding (SA) – for their enthusiasm, travelling such distance to compete against the Victorians, Alford, Justice, Sugars, Damian Wilson, Daryl Douglas and Gavin Lang.
“Today is only successful with the willingness of these leading drivers to compete and all the owners and trainers who made up our eight race program, with 82 final acceptors it’ been a great result”, he said.
“Our many raceday sponsors SEW Eurodrive, Challenger Sulky Supplies, Norton Estate Wines, Carbine Chemicals, Victorian Trainers & Drivers Association, Shelton & Lane Printing, Decron Horse Care, Hygain Feeds, O’Dwyer Horseshoes, Tabcorp Park Melton-Choice Hotels, Zilco International, Dairymaster Australia, Hyland Sportswear and Virbac Animal Health make today something unique and we really appreciate their input.”
Later in the afternoon, Gavin Lang and trainer Brent Lilly combined to take out the
$10,000 Shelton & Lane Staionery Horsham Mile with their 4YO, Kiwi bred pacer, Talaspring.
Lang sat the mare one out one back at the bell, and Talaspring then sprinted home in 28.1 to score by a length from Jukebox Music for team Douglas, in a rate of 1: 56.2. The time though well outside Coastal’s record of 1:54.7 was a great effort in the wet, cold and windy conditions.
