| What | Darwin Races |
| Where | Fannie Bay Racecourse – Dick Ward Dr, Fannie Bay NT 0820 |
| When | Saturday, May 27, 2023 |
| First Race | 2:34pm ACST |
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Visit Ladbrokes |
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The Darwin Turf Club will host a six-race card on Saturday and although only 41 horses have accepted there will be no shortage of quality. Numbers will intensify come June when the NT’s best start returning and interstate raiders begin to arrive en masse for the start of the Darwin Cup Carnival in July. Next weekend is the $30,000 Adelaide River Cup (1600m), but this weekend the feature race is a $22,500 Benchmark 76 Handicap (1100m) and although it has only attracted five runners good luck separating Cielo D’Oro, Ideas Man, Cyclonite, Fromthenevernever and Little Town Blues.
It still hasn’t rained at Fannie Bay since April 27 (0.6mm) with sunny conditions forecast for Saturday with a top temperature of 31C. The rail will be in the true position and the track will be a good dirt surface.
Best Bet at Darwin: Doc O’Connor
Doc O’Connor hasn’t put a foot wrong since arriving in the Top End from the Ballarat stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. A first up win over 1100m (Class 2) at Fannie Bay on March 4 with Queensland apprentice Sophie Wilcock aboard during the National Apprentice Race Series was followed by a close second behind Soul Spirit over 1000m (Class 2) on March 31. The gelding debuted in the NT with 57kg on his back before lumping 61kg against Soul Spirit, who then went on to post a win over 1200m (0-64) on Anzac Day and a second behind Swing With Junior over 1300m (0-70) on May 6. Doc O’Connor carries a hefty 62kg on Saturday, but is the class horse in the race. The son of Lonhro had five starts in Victoria and one start in SA for a win in an 1100m maiden on Ballarat’s synthetic surface before finishing second over 1000m (BM62) against his own age group at Morphettville.
Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#1 Doc O’Connor (4)
3yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Jarrod Todd (62kg)
Bet with Ladbrokes
Next Best at Darwin: Brimarvi Rooboy
Brimarvi Rooboy streeted his rivals by 7.3 lengths over 1300m (0-58) last start on May 6 and that performance is hard to ignore. Returning from a five-month spell, the six-year-old gelding was a first up fourth behind Zip Lane over 1100m (0-58) on Anzac Day before decimating his rivals three weeks ago. The son of Host had 18 starts in South Australia for Murray Bridge trainer Paul Seater for three wins, four seconds and two seconds before a first up fifth over 1100m (0-58) for the Chris Pollard stable at Fannie Bay in June 2021. Brimarvi Rooboy’s form in the tropics hasn’t exactly been poor and in 18 starts his record stands at 5-1-5-4. During the spring of last year he managed a third over 1300m (0-58), a third over 1300m (BM54) and a narrow second over 1300m (0-64) before heading to the paddock after a seventh over 1200m (BM54). Despite a step up in grade, a 3kg claim will certainly enhance his hopes.
Next Best
Race 1 – 
#2 Brimarvi Rooboy (3)
6yo Gelding | T: Chris Pollard | J: Emma Lines (a3) (59kg)
Bet with Bet365
Best Value at Darwin: New Enterprise
New Enterprise has only raced over 1600m once when third behind Eurellydidit and Siakam at Fannie Bay on April 14 (BM65) with only 0.4 lengths separated the trio at the finish. Backing up over 1300m (Class 2) on Anzac Day, the four-year-old gelding snuck home when he pipped Cisalpine – who is a starter in the same race on Saturday – by 0.2 lengths. The son of Anacheeva debuted in Darwin on March 4 and was eighth over 1100m against the three and four-year-olds before a sixth on March 31 over 1200m (BM54). Cops a weight increase this weekend which will no doubt prove a burden, but you get the impression he perhaps needed time to adapt to the Top End dirt as his last two starts were full of merit. After winning his first race in April last year in a 1300m Stawell maiden, New Enterprise’s only other highlight in eight other starts was a second over 1500m (Class 1) on Ballarat’s synthetic track.
Best Value
Race 6 – 
#2 New Enterprise (9)
4yo Gelding | T: Peter Stennett | J: Paul Shiers (59.5kg)
Bet with Palmerbet
Saturday quaddie tips for Darwin races
Darwin quadrella selections
Saturday, May 27, 2023
- 1-2
- 1-3-4
- 1-6-7
- 1-2-6
Investment: $54 for 100%
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