South Australian trainer Garret Lynch drives far for premiership lead

Unlike the proverb suggesting a jockey with a saddle will journey, South Australian handler Garret Lynch embraces 'have horse float, will travel'.

From his Murray Bridge base, Lynch clocks up thousands of kilometres yearly traversing South Australia and dominates the trainers' premiership with 65 wins, 21 ahead of Phillip Stokes.

That figure includes city metropolitan placings, alongside 35 provincial results and 27 from distant country spots like Ceduna, Roxby Downs, Quorn, Penong, Lock and Pooncarie.

"I place them where they can win and if that means if it's 10 or 11 hours away, I'll head off," Lynch said.

Lynch steps into fresh territory this Saturday at Flemington for the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) courtesy of Alainge, his finest horse so far, targeting entry to November's Melbourne Cup (3200m).

His previous Flemington foray was the 2014 Bagot Handicap with Callmedan ending up seventh.

In his 15-year training tenure, Alainge provided Lynch's greatest achievement by claiming the Listed Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville May 2.

Post Alainge's fifth in March's Adelaide Cup (3200m) at Morphettville, Lynch eyed this weekend's target.

"She ran a really good race in the Adelaide Cup and was just way too far back and finished off really strongly," Lynch said.

"After getting the two miles for the first time, I thought we'd head down this direction and try and qualify for the Melbourne Cup.

"Ask any trainer, and their aim is to win the Melbourne Cup, and I'm no different."

With merely two past runners at the venue, Lynch views Alainge as his strongest prospect 'by far'.

"My early training career, I was only 23 or 24 when I had my other Flemington runners," Lynch said.

"My last runner was seventh in the Bagot.

"Back then I was based at Murray Bridge but every summer I would base myself at Cranbourne for three or four months and I did that for about four years then."

Saturday's mount on Alainge falls to Harry Grace, who apprenticed under the late Robbie Laing, with whom Lynch lodged on Melbourne visits.

Lynch was pivotal in urging Grace, Alainge's Port Adelaide Cup pilot, to move to South Australia.

"I'm the one that convinced him to come over, so I'll stay loyal to him," Lynch said.

"He'll ride her over there on Saturday and then we'll head to the Sandown Cup after the Ramsden, and he'll ride her there as well.

"He hasn't got a base yet, but he'll float around between Murray Bridge and Morphettville and try an establish himself over here."

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