Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Darwin (11/07)

By Andrew O’Toole

Day 3 of the 2026 Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival, Asian United Food Service Chief Minister’s Cup Day, comes up for decision at Fannie Bay today with a six-race card the order of the day. Unfortunately, the 0-76 1200m was abandoned at acceptance time after just one of the five nominations accepted. Two of the entries were down to run on Ladies Day on Wednesday, and consequently, the race was unable to proceed today.

Today’s feature is the $65,000 AUFS Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m), which boasts a fine history of winners going on to score in the Darwin Cup the same year.

No less than ten Chief Minister’s Cup winners have taken out the big one in the last 25 years – Brave Decision (2002), Lanson (2005), Shout Out Loud (2010), Hawks Bay (2012), Lightinthnite (2015), Royal Request (2017), Zahspeed (2018), Highly Decorated (2021), Playoffs (2022) and last year, Hadouken. It is indeed a fantastic honour roll which dictates that punters should keep a wary eye on the finish of today’s weight-for-age contest.

The Chief Minister’s has again attracted a fantastic field with plenty of chances, but I am keen on last year’s winner Hadouken, who will be chasing a three-peat in the Darwin Cup on the first Monday in August, to go back-to-back in the last on today’s card.

Trained by Peter Robl on the Gold Coast, Hadouken had his first outing in Darwin this year when a brave third, beaten 5.3 lengths by Dakota Lee and Magic Defense, in the ROANT Cup (1300m) a fortnight ago. In the hands of Jason Lyon, Hadouken was posted three-wide throughout and did a tremendous job to battle on over a distance short of his best to gain a minor placing.

He would have come on for that run for sure, and his demolition of the Chief Minister’s Cup field 12 months ago lives long in the memory. Veteran horseman Wayne Davis will take the mount this time, with Lyon committed to Casino Seventeen, so he will lose nothing on the score of horsemanship, and from the inside gate, he should be able to hold a position up the hill from the 1600m start. While this is not his grand final, I am expecting him to be a major player today.

Hardest to beat may well be the two horses that had his measure in the ROANT Cup – Magic Defense and Dakota Lee.

Magic Defense, trained by Kerry Petrick, produced a memorable performance to win the Alice Springs Cup on the first Monday in May, and her effort to run Dakota Lee to 2.5 lengths last time was tremendous, seeing as she had not had a run since Alice. She has the outside draw to overcome but is a quality galloper who will be given every chance by Stan Tsaikos.

Dakota Lee is without doubt the superior sprinter in the Territory, but she is entering uncharted territory contesting the Chief Minister’s over 1600m. The furthest she has won over is 1400m as a 3yo, although she was favourite for the AS Guineas (1600m) but was scratched at the start for failing to load. Her quality is not in question, and the fact that she drops from a record weight-carrying effort in the ROANT Cup, when she lumped 64kg, to just 57kg at weight-for-age, gives her an undeniable chance of extending her already remarkable record. Leave her out at your peril!

Crown Waters, trained by Tommy Logan and to be ridden by Hannah Le Blanc, was an eye-catching fourth in the ROANT, getting home solidly from well back in the run. This trip should suit the versatile mare better – she won the St Pat’s Cup last year over this distance and has only been out of the first three twice from six attempts at 1600m.

Casino Seventeen, the winner of over $1.6m in stakes and a former Perth Cup winner, is an interesting runner as he furthers his preparation for a tilt at the Darwin Cup. The former Darwin Guineas third placegetter and NT Derby runner-up back in 2021 has had a trial on the track recently and his performance here will be something to watch with a view to the 3 August feature. Jason Lyon takes the mount for Chloe Baxter.

Stormageddon is another well-performed galloper, trained by Michael Hickmott. He has done most of his racing in WA but his last-start 10th at Morphettville was a lot better than the placing would suggest. He has not yet had a run in the Top End so is another to pay particular attention to.

Venting, who has won all the Cups in the NT with the exception of the Darwin Cup, is an old warrior who can never be left out, and his last-start third to Maxxi Bon here a week ago was a fine effort after leading. Watadeel, sixth in the ROANT Cup, is another to keep safe, while Wolfburn, although below his best at his two most recent starts, could easily bounce back to something like his best here – he is a six-time winner at 1600m.

It promises to be a terrific renewal of the AUFS Chief Minister’s Cup and the Darwin Cup picture should become a little clearer soon after 4.26pm today!

The weather in Darwin this week has been superb as one comes to expect at this time of the year. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach a lovely 32 degrees, while it will be 21 degrees overnight. There is just a 5% chance of any rain.

The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.17pm (NT time), which is 1.47pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.26pm (NT time), or 4.56pm in New South Wales and Victoria.

BEST BETS

R1 # 1 ANSON BAY
Has gone two top races in his only two starts in the Top End since relocating from Queensland. Finished 0.8 lengths second to Self Serve on 20 June and filled the same position, beaten just 0.4 lengths, behind Wallenda last Saturday. Backing up but in this small field that should not be an impediment. Half a stride slow to jump last week but it if gets away on terms this time, can break through for a deserved victory.

R3 # 4 YULE POINT
Created a good impression when bolting clear of his maiden rivals to score by over seven lengths here over this trip of 1100m on 13 June. Has been given plenty of time to get over that outing and should be improved by the run, which was his first since mid-March and his Territory debut. Drawn a little awkwardly in barrier seven but judged on his last effort, will be right in the finish again here.

R4 # 2 LUNA FIELD
Course specialist who was not far away when third first-up on 20 June behind Montjuic Magic. Won twice here last year and obviously has a liking for the surface. Only lightly raced and from the stable of Neil Dyer, who must always be respected when he turns up at Carnival time in the Top End. Stan Tsaikos takes the mount and even from barrier seven, he looks very hard to beat.