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Texas trainer Rod Hilton on the way to Brisbane

25 October 2021

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By Jordan Gerrans 

Rod Hilton travels wherever he thinks his stable can win a race.

On Saturday afternoon, it was up to Gympie, at times it is south of the border into NSW and later this year it will be to Doomben for the Country Stampede Final.

Hilton’s New Alliance, that he bred with his owners, the Clifford family, won through to the $75,000 Final via the Gympie qualifier, defeating last year’s CS champion Hard Stride, over 1030 metres in an Open Handicap on the sand.

It was over five hours from his Texas-based stable to Gympie on Saturday for Hilton and with a trip to Brisbane coming later this year, he believes that drive is no worries in comparison to some he makes with his gallopers.

“He is a very good traveller,” Hilton said of New Alliance.

“I go wherever I think I can win a race.”

For all of New Alliance’s 49 career starts, they have all been in Hilton’s name after he broke him in and has been there along the way for all 11 of his triumph’s.

Hilton and the Clifford’s raced Reformed, the mare New Alliance is from, before an injury ended her carry prematurely with just one career victory.

The experienced trainer believes they never saw the best of Reformed in her short time as a race horse.

By Swift Alliance, Hilton says the eight-year-old gelding has been slow to mature the entire way and while he does not describe him as classy, there is no doubt he is honest and consistent.

With four in work at his Texas barn, Hilton and usual stable rider Brendon Newport had plans to head to Birdsville with the bush sprinter but when that was taken off the table, the Country Stampede in early December was the next in line.

 

Brendon Newport Next Racing

“That is when we decided to head to this series and thought we would have a crack at it,” Hilton said.

“That has been the plan. He probably will not start again before the Final, give him a freshen up.

“He will have this week off and tick him over for it.

“I will travel the morning of the race, I feel they are better off sleeping and eating in their own environment, it is only just over three hours into Brisbane.”

With just 55kgs on his back, Hilton went to Saturday’s lone qualifier of the weekend full of confidence, believing the 63kgs that the reigning winner of the series had to carry would be just too much in the end.

He was spot on as New Alliance outlasted Jason Judge’s Hard Stride in a driving finish as the pair put over two lengths on the third-place finisher, Dynamic Verse.

“I was pretty confident going into Saturday because the pull of the weights, Hard Stride deserved his weight,” Hilton said.

“My horse has been going very well and I just thought he would have his measure at the weights.

“Brendan rode him very well; he knows the horse well. He is prepared to travel to the bush.”

In this weekend’s upcoming qualifiers, Country Stampede slots go on the line at Home Hill and Barcaldine while a Country Cups Challenge qualifier will be held at Yeppoon.