Glued to the TV in Perth on Saturday, Darwin trainer Tayarn Halter was the star performer at the final Fannie Bay meeting of the year after landing a winning treble.
Holidaying in WA with partner Lindsay Schmidt and mother Margaret, Halter made it 12 wins for the 2022/23 season when Zip Lane (Stan Tsaikos) and Beachhaven (Vanessa Arnott) won the opening two races on the eight-event program staged in wet and gloomy conditions before Noble War (Dakota-Lee Gillett) capped off a big day.
Halter ended 2022 sitting in second place behind Gary Clarke (21) in the Top End and Country trainer’s premiership.
Clarke, who has won the trainer’s premiership for a record 10 straight years, had success on the weekend with $15 hope Henestrosa (Paul Denton) after the 4YO gelding made it two wins from his past three starts against 0-58 opposition over 1000m.
Halter completed the 2021/22 season with 21.5 winners to finish third in the Top End and Country premiership behind Clarke (55) and Phil Cole (30.5), so everything going well she is currently on pace to land 20 winners once again this campaign.
“Yeah, I’m thrilled about Saturday, it was very exciting,” Halter said.
“It was also a good day for the owners and the jockeys – good day all round.
“Full credit to the team at home, they’re doing a fantastic job.
“I’ve got Chloe Baxter as the trainer in care and Jade Hampson’s there, and also my young team of girls that ride work and do the stable work and everything, so the team at home is holding the fort.
“Chloe knows how the horses race and everything, so it’s nothing new to her – she watches them every week.
“Jade was there on deck too and she has been back riding work for a week at the stables, along with Maddison Viney.
“Lindsay and I just had a quick chat to Chloe and Jade on Saturday to make sure everything was fine with the horses going into the races and they gave them all the thumbs up, so all was looking good going into the day apart from the weather.”
The conditions were certainly bleak with monsoonal rains dumping over 300mm in Darwin in the week leading up to the races – with surface water clearly evident on Fannie Bay’s dirt track.
Significantly, the meeting on December 17 was abandoned following a lunchtime storm that left the track unfit for racing.
Wet weather is synonymous in the Top End at this time of year, and although Fannie Bay was left saturated on Saturday it was nothing new for Halter.
“Yeah, I’ve seen similar conditions in the past, I’ve lived in Darwin a long time,” she said.
“We’ve had days like that before – plenty of them.
“I remember one St Patrick’s Cup Day in March, we couldn’t see the horses – the race-caller couldn’t even call the race.
“It’s a credit to the club that the track held up well enough to continue racing on Saturday – it was a good day.”
Zip Lane ($16 with horse betting sites) hadn’t won since March, but after a drought that lasted a further 10 races, the 5YO mare was highly impressive en route to a three length win over 1300m (Class 2) from Kerry Petrick’s $14 hope Constant Cause (Phillip Crich) and Cole’s $5 chance Nokondi (Britney Wong).
Sitting comfortably in fifth place along the back straight, Zip Lane made her move with 600m to go negotiating the final bend and found a winning gap along the fence once turning for home.
“Zip Lane was good as she can be, yeah, nice win,” Halter said.
“She’s a little bit in and out – doesn’t always put her best foot forward, but obviously she did on Saturday.
“Stan rode her well, just off the speed and she travelled well behind them and got a beautiful rails run – and she kicked away.”
Beachhaven ($4.40) made it two Darwin wins from as many starts with a sweeping move down the side of the track before the 5YO gelding overcame Tom Logan’s $6 starter Malibu Edition (Nathan Day) and Cole’s $21 contender Turnstar (Wayne Davis) by two lengths over 1300m (Class 2).
“He was impressive – he’s a nice, surprising horse because he sort of doesn’t do a lot early,” Halter said.
“But then when he worked around the field Vanessa looked like she had plenty of horse when Beachhaven balanced up – he finished off really nicely.
“So it will be interesting whether he gets any further than 1300m if he races like he does, but it’s not always the case.”
Noble War ($18), a back to back winner in June before coming third in The Rosebowl for the fillies and mares over 1300m (0-70) during the Darwin Carnival in July, finished sixth over 1300m in open company on August 1 – Darwin Cup Day – before a last start eighth over 1100m (0-70) on December 9.
On Saturday, the 5YO mare sat outside the leader Brazenpine when they jumped over 1100m (0-64) and although getting the wobbles turning for home she steadied to hit the front before edging out Clarke’s $11 hope Manly Cove (Tsaikos) and Logan’s $3.90 favourite Virtuous Miss (Day) by half a length.
“Her record in Darwin is phenomenal, she’s had 13 starts for five wins – she’s a lovely mare,” Halter said.
“Noble War backed up in that 0-70 over Carnival, which was a bit tough for her.
“She usually takes a couple of runs to hit her top gear.
“When she jumped so well with Dakota-Lee and was up travelling second she was always a big show.
“I thought the other horse Canton Kid’s run was super – from barrier 10, deep all the way, he’s run home to come fifth – great run from him.”
Halter had four other runners on Saturday – I Am The Fox, Pointo’s Pick, Real Reason and Fischer – and with an eye to the future she was more than happy with their efforts.
“All the others, considering they got back in the mud and the wet, they ran home good too,” she said.
“Fischer, it was probably a little bit short for him – I was happy with all my runners on the day.
“I thought they went really good – even the ones that didn’t win.”
Halter was chuffed to see Alice Springs apprentice Dakota-Lee Gillett win her first race at her first Darwin meeting when the 17-year-old partnered Noble War.
“Yeah, great ride, absolutely rode her a treat,” she said.
“The mare got a little unbalanced in the straight, but Dakota-Lee straightened her up and got her going.
“It’s great to support these apprentices – I love supporting them whenever I can and it’s great to see them win.
“We need fresh young faces in Darwin and it’s good to see Dakota-Lee, Jade, Emma Lines and Ianish Luximon kicking goals.”
Halter heads home next Thursday to prepare for the first Darwin meeting of the year on January 14.
“It’s been three years since we’ve had a holiday, so we thought we’d better duck down and see some family,” she said.
“I brought my mum down to Perth to catch up with some people and Lindsay caught up with his family, so we’re just having a couple weeks down here with family.”
