THE HIGHLY PROMISING ALPINE EDGE'S SUPERB FIRST UP WIN SUGGESTS THERE WILL BE MORE TO COME

By Graham Potter | Sunday, August 1, 2021

Alpine Edge’s first-up win at Eagle Farm on July 31 was just the boost the Edmonds training partnership needed going into the new season.

That win took the highly promising Alpine Edge’s final two-year-old campaign record to three wins from only five starts.

Even more impressive than just those bare statistics is the makeup of her two-year-old career.

Alpine Prince debuted in Listed company and came back a winner in the Listed Phelan Ready which was contested over 1000m at Eagle Farm on December 12, 2020.

Without blinking, the Edmonds team didn’t hesitate in setting Alpine Edge up for bigger things and his win in the Group 3 Bruce McLachlan (over 1200m at Eagle Farm on December 26, 2020) in only his second career start spoke volumes, not only of the colt’s ability, but of the good judgement of the Edmonds team in terms of the lofty early targets they had set the horse.

There was no cigar in his next start, but Alpine Edge lost no followers when finishing second behind Shaquero in the $2 million Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic at the Gold Coast over 1200m on January 16, 2021 … and the same could be said of his run in the Group 2 Todman Stakes at Randwick on March 21, 2021.

Alpine Edge finished unplaced in the Todman but there were some pretty classy horses in front of him including the race winner Anamoe who would go on to run second to Stay Inside in the Golden Slipper before winning the Group 1 Sires Produce.

Alpine Edge was spelled after the Todman and then given two trials leading into that first-up run … and win … at Eagle Farm.

Clearly rating as one of the Edmonds stable stars going into the new season, this latest win was vert timely and exuded just the type of promise that the stable was hoping to see on his return to action.

In the race, Alpine Edge went back from the worst of the draw with jockey Jaden Lloyd happy to bide his time and keep Alpine Edge comfortable under his steadying burden of 60kg. (Alpine Edge was set to carry 63kg, but had a 3kg relief with Lloyd’s claim).

Alpine Edge was still well back at the head of the home straight, but gradually made up ground along the inside before shifting out to take aim at the leaders.

Inside the final 200m Alpine Edge still looked like he was going to run a nice third, but when it really got down to the part of the race that mattered the most, his class kicked in and he extended his stride to move up so quickly that he ultimately won going away from his rivals by 1.50 lengths.

An impressive return to racing by any standards.

“When he got re-shod behind the gates, I just went … ahh no! But he has just got the best temperament for a horse and it just didn’t faze him,” said Jaden Lloyd.
“I just rode him like the best horse … and he certainly was that.

“He is just a dude to ride. He is just so versatile. He showed good gate speed, but I elected to go back from the gate and he just relaxed beautifully. He just took me through every run.

“He did have a good blow afterwards … so there is a lot of improvement left in the horse. I’m sure he will be winning a lot more races this prep.’

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