Coming off the back of success in the G3 BRC Premier’s Cup (2400m), the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Alalcance (GB) had no trouble with the 3200m of the $400,000 G2 BRC Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm, as the daughter of Mastercraftsman (IRE) charged clear to win by just shy of five lengths.
With Alalcance’s stablemate Bella Montagna (NZ) sent off the race favourite after her second placed effort last time out in the Premier’s Cup, it was the The Right Way (NZ) who went forward to take up the lead, with the favourite appearing to get a cosy run in third.
Racing in a mid-field position, Clark started to rev Alalcance up to make up some ground and when the home turn was reached, she had come around the field to take the lead.
Despite carrying the top weight of 59kgs, the talented mare showed her rivals a clean pair of heels as she kicked clear.
Two, three, four lengths in front, the mare just kept going, eased down on the line to score by just shy of five lengths to give trainer Gai Waterhouse her fifth win in the race and the fourth for Adrian Bott.
Stable rep John Livingstone was on course to discuss the fifth black type victory of the mare.
“She was great, wasn't she? She has given them everything - weight, the start, everything.
“She wasn’t that good with the blinkers off today. Didn't jump the best. Tim just bided his time. He's a great judge of pace. Then went to the lead and it was all over.
“With the blinkers off today it just took a little bit of time for her to get interested. She got into it at the right time off the back of a win last start.
“She's held her own today and really happy with the result.
As for where she heads next, Livingstone indicated that the spring beckons for the grey.
“We'll let her convalesce here in Queensland and then we'll map out a plan for the spring."
With Tim Clark sticking strong after her last start stakes win, the jockey indictated a gear change worked wonders.
“She was a bit strong the other day in the mile-and-a-half. Going to the 2400 into 3200, Gai and Adrian had discussions and decided to take the blinkers off and it definitely helped.
“It helped her relax through the middle stages. She was a little bit further back than I'd anticipated but it is a long way, two miles, so I wasn't in any rush.
“A couple of moves came earlier and the race really quickened up which was better for me. I was confident that she was the superior stayer even though she had the 59-kilos.
“I was just confident that her class would take her a long way.
“She's very cleanwinded. A typical European, she only needed a couple of runs to get us to the mark. She was brilliant there today. I'm sure Gai and Adrian would be stoked and Gai would be plotting a path to the first Tuesday in November.
“I had such an economical run up to that point (halfway). I really put her into the race from then on.
“She would drop a lot (in weight) but she can really stay and down in the weights, she gets there we can say she's in as gooder condition as she's been and thrived here in Queensland.
“She'll go for a well-earned spell now and come back for the spring.”
Secured for 240,000 guineas at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mare Sale by Johnny McKeever Bloodstock and Waterhouse/Bott Racing with a record of one maiden win at the Curragh from four starts, her purchase price looks exceptional value, considering her worth as a potential broodmare.
Recording her seventh career victory, five at black level with a further five placed efforts with earnings of $959,739 from 19 starts, Alalcance is the fourth winner for Galileo mare Albamara, herself a daughter of the Champion Older Female Stayer in Britain and Germany, Albanova.
From the family of the Australian based Kingswood (IRE), a winner of the G1 Zabeel Classic in New Zealand on Boxing Day last year, Alalcance is one of 110 stakes winners for Mastercraftsman who died in 2021.
