If three last start winners can maintain their form they will take some stopping at the Darwin meeting at Fannie Bay on Friday.
The trio in question are Phil Cole’s stablemates Looking For You (Vanessa Arnott) and Ye Hella (Wayne Davis), as well as Gary Clarke’s Doc O’Connor (Jarrod Todd).
Looking For You, an eight-year-old gelding, was quoted as the early $3 favourite in the Ladbroke It! 0-64 Handicap (1600m) after toppling the opposition by four lengths as a $4 hope over 1600m (BM54) last Friday with Davis in the saddle.
Ye Hella, a five-year-old gelding, was ear-marked as the $3 favourite with online bookmakers in the Silks Darwin 4.21 Happy Hour 0-58 Handicap (1300m) after winning at the third attempt in the Top End as a $4 favourite for former trainer Tom Logan over 1300m (0-58) two weeks ago with Sonja Wiseman as the pilot.
Doc O’Connor, a three-year-old gelding, was the $2.50 favourite in the Anzac Day Racing 25th April TROBIS Class 2 Handicap (1000m) after winning on his NT debut as a $3.60 chance over 1100m (Class 2) a month ago with Queensland apprentice Sophie Wilcock on board.
Looking For You is stepping up in grade, but he will no doubt benefit from the inside gate and seems to be back to his consistent best after losing his way from May to November last year.
Stablemate Brother Bassy (Paul Shiers) is capable of winning his first race since Anzac Day last year, while Tayarn Halter’s Fischer (Jade Hampson) and Gary Clarke’s Skellig Island (Todd) are the best of the rest.
Ye Hella, who won three races from 26 starts before heading to the NT, has to contend with a wide gate, but he looked good on March 18 and benefitted from the scratching of pre-race favourite Del Viento.
In a very open race on Friday, Ye Hella will cop heat from Halter pair I’m A Dreamer (Hampson) and Defence Attorney (Shiers), Clarke’s Global Wonder (Todd), Chris Pollard’s Lockdown Sally (Phillip Crich) and Jason Manning’s Miroku (Arnott).
The lightly-raced Doc O’Connor, a winner at Ballarat and a runner up at Morphettville in the past, won on debut in Darwin in a race in the National Apprentice Race Series (NARS) after taking out a 900m trial at Fannie Bay on February 21.
Doc O’Connor is seemingly above average and after winning another 900m trial on March 21 he should prove hard to beat once again, although Chris Nash’s duo One For Anna (Wiseman) and Air Command (Stan Tsaikos), Halter’s Real Reason (Hampson) and Cole’s Soul Spirit (Davis) will be up for the fight.
Speaking of the Nash stable, Archie James (Wiseman) – purchased for $25,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Darwin Tried Horse Sale last July – was an early $2.80 favourite in the Silks $2.5K Mega Raffle 26th April Benchmark 54 Handicap (1200m).
The former Victorian galloper has won three races from six starts in the Top End after making his debut on Melbourne Cup Day, and was unlucky not to win on March 4 when pipped on the post during a NARS event after the saddle slipped on local apprentice Emma Lines.
“Archie James has done really well and he’s just hit the front in the stakes earnings ($46,028) from the most recent Tried Horse Sale that the Darwin Turf Club had,” Nash said.
“He’s been a good buy for everyone in him and I think he’s going to give us a lot more fun too.
“Archie James is probably coming back a step on Friday.
“That was quite a good race that he ran third in the other day, so I’d probably be disappointed if he didn’t go close in this one.
“I would have thought Raffalli was a threat – he’s starting to hit his straps.
“Patria, he’s a good old stalwart, so he will be around the mark.”
Nash is expecting One For Anna, who has had her moments when pressured in home straight, and Air Command, a first up third two weeks ago over 1100m (0-58) after a two month spell, to run well on Friday.
“One For Anna – she’s one of those temperamental mares,” he said.
“When she gets her own way she tends to be quite dominant.
“When she doesn’t she probably spits the dummy and puts the white flag up, but that’s just her and you’ve just got to work with that.
“Air Command had a pretty busy first prep – had quite a few runs.
“Was just looking for a bit of a let up, which he got – he ran well the other day.
“There was plenty of pressure up front and he held his own quite well, so I’m sure he’ll run well again too.”
It’s also likely to be a wide betting race at the end of the day when Clarke’s Captain Hedderwick (Todd), the early $2.60 first-elect, squares off with Jo Banks’ Sweet Cheval (Wiseman), Halter’s Karaoke Express (Hampson) and Cole’s Floreat Pica (Davis) in the Darwin Racing 0-64 Handicap (1600m).
Finally, Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson had two rides on Wednesday during Heat 5 of the NARS where she represented the NT at Eagle Farm in Brisbane.
The 19-year-old finished 10th on Naomi Hemmings’ Dark Origins ($151) over 1200m (Class 1) – that’s after her original mount Tersane (Barry Lockwood) was scratched – before coming seventh on Billy Healey’s Rising Fire ($18) over 1600m (Class 1).
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