Bon’s Pride will be aiming to make it four straight wins for Darwin trainer Jason Manning at Fannie Bay on Friday.
The four-year-old gelding will step out in a five-horse field against the three- and four-year-olds over 1300m.
Tom Logan’s Queen In The North and Phil Cole’s trio of Tubthumper, Fly Nice and Whitten complete the field.
Manning purchased the son of Bon Aurum for $22,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Darwin Select Tried Horse Sale held during the Cup Carnival.
Bon’s Pride won his first Darwin race by 8.3 lengths over 1300m in the 0-58 ranks before saluting over 1300m on January 13 and over 1200m on February 9.
Darwin Race 3 replay (9/2/2024) – Bon’s Pride
The market elect in each of those three wins, he was the early +120 favourite with online bookmakers for Friday’s race.
In nine starts for Cranbourne trainer Wendy Kelly, Bon’s Pride had just the one win in a 1400m Cranbourne maiden.
“He’s loving life in Darwin, it took him a couple of runs to get used to the track,” Manning said.
“Hopefully, he can do the same again and win on Friday.
“The horse has got ability and showed that last start when he stepped up in grade.
“It’s a nice test again on Friday, the other four runners are in good form.”
Returning from a spell in December, Tubthumper saluted twice in open company over 1200m before Cole sent the mare to the Gold Coast in January for the $1 million fillies and mares race over 1300m on Magic Millions Day.
She finished 14th, and in her second start two weeks later for Sunshine Coast trainer Natalie McCall, Zoustar’s daughter finished 11th over 1600m in BM78 company at the Sunshine Coast.
Tubthumper must be respected, but even with apprentice jockey Emma Lines’ 2kg claim, the four-year-old mare will carry an extra 6kg compared to her last appearance at Fannie Bay, where she lumped 54kg.
Fly Nice, who has won twice for Cole, has only missed a place once in six Darwin starts and has a 5.5kg weight advantage over Bon’s Pride (61.5kg).
Whitten (54kg) is stepping up in class but has won two of his past three starts, while Queen In The North (55kg), also making the jump in grade, has finished second in her past four starts.
“Tubthumper was the standout last year in the three-year-old ranks, she gets in nicely with Emma’s (Lines) 2kg claim,” Manning said.
“Our horse goes up 2.5kg — he’s carried 60.5kg previously when he’s won here, so he carries weight not too bad.
“In a small field, he should get a good run in transit.”
Manning’s partner Vanessa Arnott will ride Bon’s Pride on Friday.
Looking ahead, Manning hopes to start Bon’s Pride in the $50,000 race over 1300m on Darwin Cup Day on August 5 for horses sold at the Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale in Darwin (2013-2023) and Alice Springs (2023).
“He’s been a very good buy, he’s honest and sound,” Manning said.
“He’s a nice horse and had consistent form in Victoria.
“He’d only won the one race, but he hadn’t been beaten too far in all of his runs.”
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