Apprentice Jade Hampson continued her good form on Friday with a treble in Darwin.
After getting Son Of Bielski ($3.90) home narrowly for trainer Chris Nash over 1300m (BM76), the 19-year-old sealed another close win aboard The Stifmeister ($9) for her master Tayarn Halter over 1200m (BM54).
Victory on the Garry Lefoe-trained Forms Of Fear ($1.90), who was making it’s Darwin debut, was much easier, with the former NSW galloper saluting by a staggering 12.3 lengths over 1100m (Class 2).
It could have been a spectacular day for the teenager had it not been for the fact that Nash’s Mr Have A Chat ($2.05 fav) went down to Chloe Baxter’s Swing With Junior ($3.60) by a long neck over 1100m (0-64).
In five weeks, Hampson has posted 11 wins after landing doubles at Alice Springs (January 27) and Darwin (February 3 and February 23).
The Darwin apprentice, with 67 wins after almost two years in the saddle, has based herself in the Red Centre in the lead up to the Alice Springs Cup Carnival.
Hampson won last year’s Alice Springs Cup (2000m) aboard the Dick Leech-trained Write Your Name.
Son Of Bielski, a seven-year-old gelding, was returning from a four-month spell, but that didn’t stop the son of Dissident from making in four straight wins when he toppled Phil Cole’s Saccharo ($1.95 fav) by a neck – Garry Lefoe’s Barragunda ($17) was third.
Trailing the leaders in the five-horse race, Son Of Bielski (54.5kg) and Saccharo (60.5kg) eventually caught the plucky Barragunda with 100m to go.
A host of horses sought the early lead and there were plenty of chances with 300m remaining before The Stifmeister, a five-year-old gelding by Lonhro, pounced to sink Lefoe’s Rising Fire ($4.20 fav) and Gary Clarke’s Zourisky ($4.40) with 0.6 lengths separating the trio.
The Stifmeister (56kg), having its fourth Darwin start, had a clear weight advantage over Rising Fire (61kg) and Zourisky (60kg).
Forms Of Fear, a four-year-old gelding by Written Tycoon, shared the early lead and was three lengths clear at the 350m turning for home before sprinting clear to overcome Patrick Johnston’s Gotta Beat ($12) and Chris Pollard’s Rojo Boom ($61).
If not for Hampson, veteran jockey Wayne Davis would have grabbed the headlines after winning his first Top End race after spending three and a half months in Geraldton.
The 52-year-old produced a super ride on the Cole-trained Fly Nice ($8.50), a four-year-old mare by Impending, who led throughout before saluting over 1300m (3/4YOS) by two lengths.
Jason Manning’s Bon’s Pride ($1.60 fav), travelling three deep before seemingly losing focus at the 500m, and Cole’s Tubthumper ($6.50) filled the minor placings.
Fly Nice (56kg), boasting two wins and three minor placings from six Darwin starts, outclassed Bon’s Pride (61.5kg), who was aiming for four straight wins, and last year’s Darwin Guineas winner Tubthumper (60kg) – back from a Queensland campaign – who was declared fit despite rearing violently in the gates.
For Davis, it was his first Fannie Bay win since punching Cole’s Little Town Blues home on August 5.
Apprentice Emma Lines, who was placed aboard Tubthumper, Saccharo and Gotta Beat, had her first Fannie Bay win since landing a double on February 9 after piloting six-year-old mare Swing With Junior home from Mr Have A Chat and Clarke’s Global Wonder ($4).
With a 4kg weight advantage over Mr Have A Chat, who blew the start, and Global Wonder, who wasn’t far away in third place, Swing Of Junior (55kg) – the daughter of Warhorse – led from the outset and never left the fence before posting her first win since last May.
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