Chris Alford is chasing his first Group 1 win as a trainer this weekend
Howards Dilemma might not be in the class of Concorde Lombo, but she can secure herself an equally-special place in Chris Alford’s heart with victory in Friday night’s $100,000 Renown Silverware Vicbred Super Series 3YO Fillies Final at Moonee Valley.
While Alford remains the only reinsman to have won the Victoria Oaks and the three-year-old Vicbred aboard the same filly thanks to Concorde Lombo’s 1997 heroics, he can add his name to the Vicbred trainer’s honour roll with a Howards Dilemma victory this weekend.
The 40-year-old is yet to officially train a Group 1 winner in his own right.
While he did much of the work with Mont Denver Gold earlier this decade, his father Barry was officially the trainer when that gelding won the 2003 Hunter Cup.
Alford would love to notch the milestone in a race that has such fond memories for him.
“She was nearly unbeatable as a three-year-old, Concorde Lombo, and the only races she got beaten in that year were the ones she had no luck in,” Alford said of the Jayne Davies-trained daughter of Classic Garry, who won 12 of her first 14 starts as a three-year-old.
“This filly’s not quite in her league yet, but it would be great if we could win it with her.”
And Alford, who also drove Nemeeshar to Vicbred three-year-old fillies glory in 2004, is going into the 2100m race confident the daughter of Pacific Fella can atone for a frustrating run of near misses.
At her past four starts, Howards Dilemma has finished second to Kept For Pleasure in her Victoria Oaks heat, fifth in the Oaks final, runner-up to reigning Breeders Crown champion Staccato in a Vicbred heat before being pipped by outsider Whata Impact in last Friday night’s semi.
“She got herself in a bit of trouble at the start the other night and nearly broke,” Alford said.
“The winner came from where she probably would have been if she didn’t go rough at the start, so hopefully things will fall her way this time.”
Added incentive for Alford this weekend is to maintain Concorde Lombo’s standing as the only filly to have won the Oaks-Vicbred double. The favourite on Friday night will be Kept For Pleasure, who last month won the Nevele R Stud Victoria Oaks at Bendigo.
While he has a back-row barrier (10) to overcome with Howards Dilemma, Alford said Kept For Pleasure was unlikely to get things her own way like she has of late after drawing barrier five for the final and was confident of an upset.
“Kept For Pleasure is the measuring stick and has been blessed with good barrier draws every time she’s gone around this time in, but I don’t think she’s got that much on them,” he said.
The Vicbred final is race six on the card and will be run at 9.12pm.
