An unfashionable trainer with a cheap horse has celebrated one of his biggest racing moments in the first two-year-old event of the Sydney season.
Gary Nickson produced $6000 weanling purchase Alpha Miss ($7.50) to claim Saturday’s Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick, edging out the Gerald Ryan-trained favourite Tetsuko by a long head.
Alpha Miss - Photo by Steve Hart
Nickson has a team of 15 in work at Warwick Farm and the last city winner he could recall training was Zakynthos Impritz at Warwick Farm more than 12 months ago.
The victory by Alpha Miss also revived fond memories for Nickson of Tandrio who finished second to Riverdale in the Epsom Handicap at the corresponding meeting 29 years ago.
“The last time I had a runner on this day it ran second in an Epsom but it was a long time ago,” Nickson said.
“This is a huge day for us and a huge day for the stable.
“The owners have had horses with me on and off for many years without much success.
“She is as tough as nails this filly and she won her trial with plenty of authority. She won it in fast time and ran a fast last 600 metres but because I’ve got her nobody took any notice.”
Alpha Miss stalked Tetsuko and wore her down in the final bounds to snatch a narrow victory with the runner-up’s stablemate Lucky Racquie another 2-1/2 lengths away third.
Nickson said he would take Alpha Miss home before deciding where to head next while Ryan confirmed his pair would be spelled.
“They will both go straight to the paddock. They did what they had to do,” Ryan said.
