Gary Clarke’s Doc O’Connor was too quick in an open 1000m handicap at Fannie Bay on Saturday, but a start in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) during the Darwin Carnival is unlikely.
The four-year-old gelding, with Jarrod Todd aboard, started as a $2.10 favourite and, after pinging the gates, waltzed home from stablemate Flying Annie ($5.50) and Paul Gardner’s Red Wraith ($3.10) by 3.7 lengths.
Flying Annie, winner of April’s Queen of the Desert (1200m) in her Red Centre debut during the Alice Springs Carnival, was racing first-up in the Top End.
Red Wraith, who boasts six wins and four minor placings in 13 Alice Springs starts, also had his inaugural Fannie Bay experience.
Doc O’Connor has had six wins and a second from nine Darwin starts from 1000-1100m – he was fourth in his only 1200m start for Clarke.
During his time with Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Victoria, the son of Lonhro won a 1000m Ballarat maiden and was second over 1000m at Morphettville as a three-year-old.
Flying Annie, who has only missed a place four times in 19 career starts, and Red Wraith are bound for the Palmerston.
Thoroughbred Racing NT chief executive officer Andrew O’Toole believes Ideas Man could be the one to beat come August 3.
“He ran second behind Early Crow last year – he’s from the Chris Nash stable and is a realistic chance,” O’Toole said.
“Ideas Man won four straight after last year’s Palmerston before a last start fourth in October.
“He trialled the other day – he finished a close up third and just looks to have come back really well.
“He’s had a long preparation and has done a lot of work in South Australia with Murray Bridge trainer Roslyn Day, she also pre-trains down there.
“He’s fit and hard, and as we know he loves it up here.
“Flying Annie impressed, she’s a 73 rater, so she won’t be going to the Rose Bowl because that’s a 0-70 and therefore the Palmerston is an option.
“Red Wraith was good, I do question whether or not he’s a Palmerston winner, but he’s more of a 1200m horse, so he’s a chance.
“The other two horses in that race on Saturday – Tayarn Halter’s City Regal and Schiller Bay – need to improve.”
Garry Lefoe’s Canton Kid, Chris Pollard’s Early Crow – formerly with Dick Leech and Gary Clarke, Kerry Petrick’s Throw At Da Stumps, and Mathematics and Noble Magnate, who ran the quinella in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) at Alice Springs in April for Kym Healy, are potential Palmerston starters.
There’s also Terry Gillett’s Dakota Lee, unbeaten in nine Alice Springs starts, who is heading north for the race.
“Dakota Lee, she’s got to be considered, she’s very good, but she’s never raced in Darwin,” O’Toole added.
“It will be great to see her here – she’s a brut of a thing, a strong mare.
“Touch wood, they seem to have got on top of her issues as far as getting her into the barriers.”
Meanwhile, Doc O’Connor’s main target will be the Simone Montgomerie Plate (1000m) on Darwin Cup Day on August 5, a race he won last year by 4.5 lengths.
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