3 minute read

Alfie All Talent showed plenty of fighting spirit to keep his unbeaten record this preparation intact in Launceston on Saturday night.

The Sarah Cotton-trained gelding scored a bold all-the-way win first up early last month but this latest effort stamped the gelded son of Decides as a horse to follow.

With Troy Baker in the saddle, Alfie All Talent ($4.60) showed brilliant early speed to lead and when challenged seriously in the home straight by the favourite Herman's Bells ($2.80) Cotton's lightly raced five-year-old refused to wilt and scored by a comfortable margin.

Cotton said all the credit for the win must be attributed to her sister Mel who rides him in all his work.

"This horse and I don't get on at all, which is why Mel does all the work with him, so the credit must go to her," Cotton said.

"H is a difficult horse to train because he has a few quirks, but Mel has sorted him out and you can't fault the horse's work ethic.

"He wears blinkers because he has some personality issues but other than that he is a very nice horse going places."

Baker was full of praise for Alfie All Talent's courage over the concluding stages.

"This horse still doesn't know what he's doing but tonight he fought back really well when Herman's Bells came at him and way past the line, he jumped into another gear and took off and that's why it took me forever to pull him up," Baker said.

"I'm sure had he been headed he would have fought back and won, so I fully expect he will get over more ground as he moves through his grades."

Alfie All Talent had one start last season for a sixth in a maiden in Hobart in late March after which he was tipped out for a spell.

Cotton began training three years ago and had only a couple of horses in work at any one time, but that has stretched to nine.

"We've got a few two-year-olds filling up the yards these days, so we definitely have enough to keep us busy."