After a few near misses during the Darwin Cup Carnival, Bendigo trainer Kym Hann is hoping for a bit more luck with three meetings to go.
There have been five meetings since July 2 and the Hann stable has been represented in nine races for one win, four seconds, two thirds and a fourth.
An outstanding strike rate, and after arriving in the Top End in late May his horses have had 22 starts for three wins, seven seconds, four thirds and three fourths.
Our Destrier (Stan Tsaikos) got the ball rolling when he saluted in the $25,000 Adelaide River Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay.
Swing With Junior (Adam Nicholls) made it back-to-back wins when she got the cash over 1100m (0-58) on June 18 before downing the fillies and mares over 1200m (0-62) on the first Saturday in July.
With Nicholls back in the saddle, the four-year-old mare finished a narrow second in the $30,000 Rose Bowl for the fillies and mares over 1300m (0-70) behind Valentina Star on July 13.
The Warhorse mare returns to action on Wednesday and steps up to 0-76 grade when she contests the $40,000 Darwin Corporate Park Cup (1300m) – the feature race on Day 6 of the Cup Carnival.
The likes of Autocratic, the $3.10 favourite, Obligatory ($5.50), Brother Bassy ($10) and Halgard ($11), as well as last-start winners Fragore ($4.20) and Valentina Star ($6), will keep Swing With Junior – a $5.50 quote with online bookmakers – on her toes.
Swing With Junior has come a long way since running second over 1000m (Class 2) when she made her Darwin debut on May 28 and Hann believes she can make an impact on Wednesday.
“Look, I do – I think she should be able to sit in just behind them and have the last crack,” he said.
“It’s only a seven horse field, so you can’t really rule her out.
“I think she’s in it up to her ears, absolutely.”
A drop in weight and a better gate following the Rose Bowl is significant, and Hann has had nothing but admiration for the horse since arriving in the NT.
“She’s done absolutely nothing wrong,” he said.
“Just had to get out probably a little bit sooner last start, but I can’t knock the way she’s going.
She’s a really nice horse, she’s not very big.
She’s only a tiny little thing, but yeah, she’s got some guts about her.”
Tsaikos rode Swing With Junior in her first Fannie Bay start and replaces Nicholls in the Darwin Corporate Park Cup, and a win will certainly bring a smile back to Hann’s face after a bout of misfortune on Saturday.
Royal Tyke, a six-year-old gelding, would have qualified automatically for the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) this Saturday had it not been for a narrow loss in the $32,000 Flying Sprint (1100m).
The Written Tycoon gelding, with Tsaikos as the pilot, just failed to catch the winner Our Luca to finish second by 0.5 of a length.
Hann had every right to be frustrated as Royal Tyke couldn’t run down Ideas Man, who is also bound for the Palmerston Sprint, at his previous start in open company over 1100m on July 13 and was edged out by 0.2 of a length.
Royal Tyke was a first up second behind Ideas Man over 1000m (0-70) on June 4 before finishing fourth in open company on two occasions behind Niewand on June 18 (1000m) and Syncline on July 2 (1100m).
When the weights for the Palmerston Sprint were released on Monday, Royal Take was 16th in the order of entry.
Only 12 horses line up in the feature NT event for the sprinters, while there is normally three emergencies.
The Victorian trainer hasn’t given up hope of getting a spot in the race as there is a possibility some automatic qualifiers won’t face the starter come final acceptances.
Hann also confirmed that the Palmerston Sprint was never on the agenda for Royal Take.
“It hadn’t been until the way he performed in his last two races,” he said.
“He got a few points from the second on Saturday, which is a big help to get him in.
“So with a little bit of luck – there’s a few that I sort of think aren’t going to be there.
“I think we’re still a big chance of making it.
“He’s crying out for a win and Saturday again proved that he’s knocking on the door.
“If he doesn’t run in the Palmerston, he’ll run in the Lightning.”
The $35,000 Montgomerie Lightning Plate (1000m) – in honour of the late Darwin jockey Simone Montgomerie – will be run on Darwin Cup Day on Monday.
Elmore Lad, Late Night Reward, Boy Big and Our Destrier, who will line up in the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m), have also acquitted themselves with distinction for the Hann stable.
“I can’t complain, it’s been good,” Hann said.
“A good learning curve considering it’s my first time up here.”
After his Adelaide River Cup win, Our Destrier went on to finish second at weight-for-age level in the $60,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) behind Playoffs on July 9.
Playoffs is second favourite at $3.50 in the Darwin Cup behind Living The Dream ($3), the winner of the Metric Mile (1600m) for open company at Fannie Bay on Saturday, with Our Destrier on the fourth line of betting at $7.50 behind I Am The Fox ($7).
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