Casey Hunter grabbed the headlines at Fannie Bay on Saturday when she booted home a winning double.
Hunter, winless since getting Eurellydidit home for Darwin trainer Ella Clarke in the Top End on April 14, saluted on Kerry Petrick’s New Roman ($12) and Chris Pollard’s Irascible Miss ($26).
Prior to her last win, the efficient 28-year-old rode a winning double for Clarke aboard Eurellydidit and Cisalpine on March 31.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 2 Replay – New Roman (1st)
New Roman, a six-year-old gelding, made it seven wins from 28 starts and six wins from 21 starts at Fannie Bay for Petrick, after basically controlling matters throughout over 1300m (0-64).
The son of Written Tycoon, who had two wins from nine SA starts before debuting in Darwin on October 2021 posted his other win for Petrick at Kununurra last August.
He has been unsuccessful at Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, but on Saturday he made up for a disappointing fifth over 1200m (0-70) on May 27 following a third over 1100m (0-66) on Alice Springs Cup Day (April 30).
New Roman and others battled for the early ascendancy and once leading had Pollard’s in-form $2 bookmaker favourite Brimarvi Rooboy (Emma Lines) on his outside with Heather Lehmann’s Marvelous Night (Adam Nichols) and Tayarn Halter’s Don’t Wait (Jade Hampson) close by.
Little changed off the back and down the side, but by the 400m approaching the final bend New Roman was evidently in good shape.
Swinging for home, New Roman (60kg) led by the two lengths and although Brimarvi Rooboy (57.5kg) struggled to bridge the gap Tom Logan’s Zip Lane (Sonja Wiseman) was making ground along the rails.
In the final 200m, Petrick’s charger kicked to win by 4.21 lengths from Brimarvi Rooboy, who was aiming for three straight wins, and Gary Clarke’s fast-finishing $9 hope Global Wonder (Jarrod Todd), who was ninth in the back straight.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 6 Replay – Irascible Miss (1st)
Irascible Miss, a five-year-old mare, was making her first NT appearance after racing in Victoria and SA where she had one win from eight starts for Kyneton trainer George Osborne and two minor placings from four starts for Goolwa trainer David Jolly.
The daughter of Warhorse settled fourth behind Chole Baxter’s Aplomado (Paul Shiers), victorious on debut in a 1000m maiden in March, over 1000m (Class 2) with Cole’s Exceedingly Magic (Lines) and Jason Manning’s Minister (Vanessa Arnott) sitting second and third.
In the home straight and with 200m to go, Aplomado ($2.70 fav) still led and while Exceedingly Magic ($10) had to adjust to attack the leader on its outside when a rails run failed to materialise Irascible Miss was finishing strongly down the middle of the track.
In an action-packed finish Irascible Miss swooped to seal victory by 0.7 lengths with the unlucky Exceedingly Magic pipping Aplomado for second by 0.2 lengths.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 3 Replay – Daniher (1st)
Daniher (Mark Pegus) sealed victory for Alice Springs trainer Kevin Lamprecht over 1200m (BM64) for the three-year-olds with Gary Clarke’s $1.45 favourite Doc O’Connor (Todd), who had managed two wins and a second since arriving in Darwin, missing a place in the four-horse field.
Formerly trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman at Mornington, Daniher won a 1200m maiden in the Red Centre before the gelding finished second behind Dick Leech’s Century Fox in the NT Guineas (1600m) in April 17.
The son of Fighting Sun held the fence, but Doc O’Connor was perched on his hammer after relinquishing the early lead and it was only when the pair reached the 200m that Daniher edged clear before claiming victory from Peter Stennett’s $31 roughie Bluffed (Wiseman), who ratted home in an outstanding Darwin Guineas trial, with John Peacock’s $18 chance Heroic Spirit (Hunter) also running on nicely for third.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 4 Replay – Ideas Man (1st)
In the other three races, Chris Nash’s five-year-old gelding Ideas Man (Hampson) over 1100m (BM76), Cole’s five-year-old mare Afternoon Tea (Line) over 1300m (0-58) and Gary Clarke’s four-year-old gelding Hard To Excel (Todd) over 1100m (BM54) won after leading all the way.
Ideas Man ($4.20), a star in the Top End this time last year before disappointing in the Palmerston Sprint (1200m), spotted Gary Clarke’s $2.60 BoomBet favourite Syncline (Todd), who was making his Darwin return with a 63.5kg impost, 9kg before rolling the 2022 Palmerston Sprint winner by 3.64 lengths with Mark Nyhan’s $4 fancy Bat Pad (Wiseman) third.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 1 Replay – Afternoon Tea (1st)
Afternoon Tea ($3.60 fav) made it two wins from her past three starts when she outclassed Pollard’s $11 contender Dream Weaver (Hunter) by 4.9 lengths with Gary Clarke’s $13 runner Bel Suono (Todd) third – the finishing order never changed as from the 1000m.
10/6/23 Darwin Race 5 Replay – Hard To Excel (1st)
Hard To Excel ($6.50) finally landed that first Fannie Bay win at the seventh attempt after a last start third and was well clear at the top of the straight before getting home by 1.39 lengths from Stennett’s $3.90 hopeful Kent Street (Hampson) and Pollard’s $26 outsider All Stardom (Alice Lindsay), who were running second and third turning for home.
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