It’s the start of the Darwin Cup Carnival this weekend and it appears as though interstate trainers Neil Dyer and Heather Lehmann have timed their preparations to perfection if Saturday is any guide.
Kyneton’s Dyer and Murray Bridge’s Lehmann, regular visitors to the Top End and who have enjoyed plenty of success, landed winning doubles at Fannie Bay.
Ziggi Rocks ($4 fav) and Latest Bentley ($18) saluted for Dyer, who has 22 horses at his disposal, while Lucky Fortuna ($2.35 fav) and Gift Of Gold ($61) got home for Lehmann, who has a team of six horses.
After a first-up eighth in open class (1600m) a fortnight ago, Ziggi Rocks (Jade Hampson) lined up over 1600m (0-70) and was camped in third place on the fence before finding open spaces in the home straight to overcome Chris Pollard’s fast-finishing A Big Chance ($5.50) and Peter Stennett’s New Enterprise ($5) by 1.3 lengths.
Latest Bentley (Thomas Doyle), a 10-year-old gelding who debuted in Darwin in 2017, made it four wins from 22 Top End starts when he jumped from a wide gate over 1200m (0-58) before assuming control out in front.
Phil Cole’s Lord Fenrir ($5.50) then arrived to keep him company, but once turning for home, Latest Bentley found another gear and kicked clear to win by 2.5 lengths, with Kerry Petrick’s Kikuyu ($4.80) storming home for third.
Lucky Fortuna (Emma Lines), a first-up winner at Fannie Bay two weeks ago, had to work from the back and was then forced five deep in the home straight before getting home by 1.8 lengths in an eventful contest over 1200m (0-66).
Some either missed the jump, were in contention at the 300m or caught the eye in the concluding stages and Angela Forster’s Zoumist was motoring home before being flattened at the 250m, but in the end, Kym Healy’s Equal Balance ($41) and Pompeii Empire ($9) filled the minor placings.
Gift Of Gold (Sonja Logan), the first emergency, got a start in the 1300m maiden and the fact he overcame stablemate Valkur ($3 fav) and Dyer’s Fierce Legend ($9.50) by 3.8 lengths was surprising after coming ninth in an 1100m maiden on June 15.
Eighth at the 1100m, Gift Of Gold – 12th in Hong Kong in his only other career start – picked up speed and joined Valkur and Tayarn Halter’s Tonix out in front before shooting clear at the 200m when little separated the trio passing the 400m.
Jason Manning’s $4 favourite Motivated Miss (Vanessa Arnott) made it two wins and a second from its past three starts with an outstanding win over 1200m (0-58) after finding the lead from the outside gate held on to eclipse Cole’s Whitten ($4.80) and Pollard’s Call It A Loan ($8) by 0.8 lengths.
Ella Clarke’s $10 hope Wild Beau (Aaron Sweeney) impressed on it’s Top End debut over 1100m (0-62) when it held a four length lead passing the 600m before prevailing by 0.8 lengths with Andrew Perdon’s Dummy Spit ($3.90 fav) and Dyer’s Yaki Ishi ($6.50) hot on his heels.
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