Alalcance’s last-start return to the winner’s list has come as no surprise to jockey Tim Clark, who believes the Tulloch Lodge mare is going as well as she was when dominating the Sydney autumn carnival staying races 12 months ago.
The six-year-old will tackle 3200m for just the second time in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm on Saturday, arriving there off the back of a strong victory in the Premier’s Cup (2400m) on May 30.
It was her first success since stringing together a hat-trick of stakes victories during the 2025 autumn carnival, but Clark felt she had been building towards it.
“Her previous run up there was very good, so I was pretty confident getting out to 2400 that she was ready to bounce back into the winners’ stall,” Clark said.
“She’s in as good a form now as she was back in the autumn of 2025 where she put a few together and started favourite in the Sydney Cup.
“She has done really well since her win. I’ve been on her back a couple of times up there since that and I couldn’t be happier with how she looks and how she’s going.
“She has got to give a bit of weight away, that’s the only concern, but apart from that she is in great shape.”
Alalcance started favourite in the Sydney Cup but tired after leading to finish among the tailenders.
That performance hasn’t dissuaded Clark from believing she will see the two-miles out strongly this weekend.
“She was at the end of her ‘prep’, she raced keenly and gave herself nothing to finish the race off,” Clark said of the 2025 Sydney Cup run.
“I’ve got no concerns about her running that trip. Blinkers come off Saturday to make sure she relaxes to give her every chance to conserve energy and be strong at the end of the race.”
Alalcance will be among three rides Clark has for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott on Saturday, along with Palmanova in the Oxlade Stakes (1200m) and classy gelding Vauban in the Q22 (2200m).
Vauban was having his first start since March when third behind Birdman and Pride Of Jenni in the Doomben Cup (2000m), and Clark expects him to strip significantly fitter.
“He hadn’t run for a couple of months and was taking on horses that were up and running and had come through the Hollindale Stakes,” Clark said.
“He is open to a bit of improvement coming into this race.”
