Darwin trainer Patrick Johnston is every chance of winning the NT Guineas (1600m) at Pioneer Park in Alice Springs on Saturday for the second time.
Ankle Rolex, a three-year-old gelding by Cable Bay, will start the $50,000 feature on Day 2 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival as an unbackable favourite.
Johnston won the corresponding race in 2017 with Delta D’Or, formerly trained by his sister Amy Yargi in Victoria, with the son of Master Of Design winning three straight races in Darwin and a lead up race in the Red Centre before contesting the Guineas.
Having won the two lead up races for the three-year-olds over 1200m (March 19) and 1400m (April 1) quite comprehensively, Ankle Rolex is definitely the one to beat and his demise would be one of the upsets of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival.
He has already dealt with most of the runners that will line up in the Guineas in his two Pioneer Park starts, except for the Dick Leech-trained debutante Century Fox.
After two starts in Victoria, Century Fox had 12 starts for Wagga Wagga trainer Michael Travers and was a last start winner in a 1400m maiden at Albury on March 23.
Ankle Rolex, who was actually bred by Johnston, produced two good 900m trials at Fannie Bay late last year leading up to his first start.
Debuting on New Year’s Eve, the gelding saluted over 1100m against maiden and three-year-old opposition at a Class 2 level before finishing fifth – albeit by 1.5 lengths – a fortnight later over 1200m (0-58).
Another win over 1200m by 6.5 lengths against maiden and three-year-old opposition at a Class 2 level followed on January 26 before coming fifth against the three and four-year-olds over 1100m on March 4.
It was then off to Central Australia and Ankle Rolex hasn’t missed a beat.
“I’m excited for Saturday, just trying to keep a lid on it,” Johnston said.
“Off his work, I think he’s come on from his last run.
“He’s eating well, he’s working well – I’m very happy with him.
“First go at a mile, but I think it’s probably the first go at a mile for almost all of them.
“I don’t think the horse could be any better placed going into the Guineas.”
For the record, Century Fox, to be ridden by Jarrod Todd, Kevin Lamprecht’s Daniher (Ianish Luximon), Kerry Petrick’s Perisseuo (Paul Denton) and Mark Nyhan’s Slinky’s Star (Sonja Wiseman) have already negotiated the 1600m.
Ankle Rolex will be ridden by Top End apprentice Jade Hampson, who will also be searching for her first NT feature.
“He’s going OK, I thought he travelled down very well,” Johnston added.
“The week after we got here we started to get a couple of cool mornings and he’s really come on.
“As soon as those horses coming out of the Darwin wet season get that bit of a cool breeze in the morning they just thrive.
“I’m sort of expecting him to win.
“I think the horse is flying, I think he’s well placed.
“I couldn’t be happier with him and you’ve got pretty much the same horses he has been racing against.
“They’ve got to meet him at set weights.
“There’s only the one new face in the race, I haven’t got to see it gallop yet in Alice Springs.
“That’s the horse of Dick Leech’s, Century Fox.
“It’s hard to line the Daniher form up – it won very well the other day.
“Jewel Roca absolutely made my horse work the last two starts.
“I think it’s going to be a very nice horse going forward.
“Everything else considered, I’m happy that my horse is going as well as he can.”
Johnston, who won his first race as a trainer with his first runner when Class Beats saluted at Fannie Bay in 2014, rates Ankle Rolex’s first up win as his most memorable Darwin win.
“It meant a lot to me because I bred him,” he said.
He’s not counting his chickens just yet, but Johnston is looking to take Ankle Rolex to South Australia should he succeed on Saturday.
“Probably looking at the Adelaide Guineas more than the Darwin Cup Carnival,” Johnston said.
“We’ll see how he comes through the run and everything else.”
The $100,000 Adelaide Guineas (1600m), a Listed race, is scheduled for Morphettville on May 13.
The big three-year-old races during the Darwin Cup Carnival include the $135,000 NT Derby (2050m), $75,000 Darwin Guineas (1600m) and a $40,000 event over 1200m (BM68).
Following changes to the Triple Crown during the Darwin Cup Carnival, a $50,000 bonus called the “Darwin Double” has been devised for the three-year-olds.
The prizemoney will be awarded should a horse win the Darwin Guineas before backing up to take out the NT Derby.
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