Andrew O’Toole’s Friday best at Darwin (25/09)

By Andrew O’Toole

Racing returns to Fannie Bay Racecourse today for the second meeting in just under a week, and unlike last Saturday when just four races were contested, this time there will be seven events following the division of the Benchmark 76 1600m. For this time of the year, the fields, while not large in size, are still more than acceptable as we build towards another three meetings per month during the Spring Carnival period of October and November.

With the highest rated race on the card being divided, we have two races to consider in our preview, the first of them the sixth, the $25,800 Mindil Beach Casino Resort Handicap.

A field of seven will contest the 1600m event, with leading trainer Gary Clarke represented by a trio of runners – Stormfront, Awash and Biden Time – and it is the first-named of the three that I am keen on. The St Pat’s Cup winner back in March has met with a setback or two in recent times and has only started four times since a tough win in the off-season feature over the same trip as today’s.

He resumed this campaign with a ninth in the ROANT Cup in late June behind Dakota Lee, before a good fifth to Venting in the Metric Mile on 25 July. After he failed to make the Darwin Cup field, he instead contested a 1600m event on Cup Day, finishing eighth behind Hettinger, and his most recent effort was sixth of seven over 1300m on 5 September in the race won by Rossanado.

Stormfront has clearly been below his best lately but back up to 1600m here and with Jarrod Todd to do the steering, he can bounce back without surprising. He has won twice from five attempts over the distance and his overall record of six wins and five placings from 19 starts points to his quality.

Hardest to beat might be Pat Johnston’s Lim’s Bighorn, who will be having his third start in the Top End. The former Singapore galloper, who then spent some time in Victoria, has done little wrong in his two starts to date in Darwin, finishing a good fifth to Wild Beau first-up over 1000m, and then bagged a third placing behind Genetic Freak over 1200m on 5 September. His trainer has elected to step him up in trip for today’s assignment, which may be a question mark as he has only raced once previously over 1600m. But the way he hit the line last time suggests the distance may well be what he is looking for. Billy Cray takes the mount.

Awash has a fine record over the journey, having won four times and been placed on a further nine occasions from 20 starts. He can tend to mix his form a little but with Deborah Barton’s 2kg claim, he gets in well at the weights and a bold showing would not surprise.

Miami Baby is stepping up in grade but won at his last start at his first try over 1600m and could get some of it, while Vieri, a winner two starts back over 1600m during the Darwin Cup Carnival, Biden Time, who has been second at his last two starts and is a two-time winner over the trip, and topweight Vevinsky, the Kununurra Cup winner for Kelvin Moore, are all chances.

The second of the two Benchmark 76 1600s is the last of the day, the $25,800 Ladbrokes Mega Multi Handicap, and another seven-horse field has been assembled.

Like the previous event, Clarke Racing have three runners engaged – Fury, Hennessy Lad and Starzam – but I fancy the consistent Rossanado, for trainer/rider Paul Shiers, to be the hardest to beat.

The 5yo daughter of Toronado has had a tremendous four-race campaign to date, with a win in the Rosebowl (1300m) on July 8, followed by two Carnival second placings, one in the Dabble Cup (1300m) behind Anson Bay on 29 July, before a close-up second on Cup Day (3 August) behind Hettinger over this trip of 1600m. She then had a freshen-up of just over four weeks before a well-deserved win over 1300m on 5 September, beating Bruno Bruno by 1.5 lengths in a BM76 event.

She has yet to win at this distance but as she has got older and stronger, she is handling the trip well and gets an ideal chance to secure her first win over the mile. Shiers, who has been on the easy list lately with a foot injury, returns to the saddle today for two rides, and has two excellent chances, with Littlebourkestreet his other representative in the fourth event.

Fury has won his last two starts in lower grades over this trip for Clarke, and Todd will again be aboard. He won on 18 July and then again a week later in a 0-70, and although this is harder, he is going well.

Barocco Bar was a last-start winner of the Bedourie Cup in Queensland, and the Katherine Cup winner from 15 August must always be considered in a race like this. Villa Seventynine, now in the Chloe Baxter stable, comes off a last-start win at Kununurra over this journey and is another with winning prospects, while Gravina was good first-up in Darwin before disappointing at his most recent effort. He should be allowed another chance although he has yet to compete over 1600m.

The weather in Darwin this week has again been fine and warm, although the humidity is certainly more noticeable day by day. The official forecast for today reads: Mostly sunny. Slight chance of a shower. Light winds becoming easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then tending northwest to northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach a warm 35 degrees, while it will be 23 degrees overnight. There is a 30% chance of 0-1mm.

The first race on the seven-race card gets underway at 1.35pm (NT time), which is 2.05pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.25pm (NT time), or 5.55pm in New South Wales and Victoria. And bear in mind, daylight saving changes next weekend, Sunday 4 October, at 2am, making the difference between the NT and the eastern seaboard 1.5hours.

BEST BETS

R3 # 2 MR MARRAKECH
Capable galloper whose two runs this campaign have been encouraging. Finished fourth and not beaten far on Day 7 of the Darwin Cup Carnival behind Verbosity, then second to stablemate Patriotic King over 1100m four weeks ago. Has a good record of two wins and two thirds from four starts at this 1300m distance, and Jarrod Todd retains the mount for leading trainer Gary Clarke. Should be able to jump and travel on the pace and will take some running down.

R4 # 5 LITTLEBOURKESTREET
Should arguably have won at her last two starts when losing vital ground around the home turn. Nevertheless, finished off well to go down less than a length to Cavern on Darwin Cup Day, then was a half-length second behind Montjuic Magic over the same 1100m on 5 September. Up in trip to 1200m here should not be an issue for the daughter of Ilovethiscity and trainer/rider Paul Shiers returns to the saddle here. Drawn the inside gate and will give her five rivals plenty to worry about.

R7 # 2 ROSSANADO
Has been an absolute model of consistency this campaign, with two wins and two seconds in strong company during the Carnival and since. Was an impressive winner over 1300m in this grade on 5 September and steps up again to the 1600m, at which she has been placed twice from five attempts, on both occasions within her last five starts. Continues to put in stellar performances and can do so once again, even from the outside draw of seven.