Six months ago as the Darwin Cup Carnival drew to a close, Top End trainer Mark Nyhan had a 48 hour period that he’s unlikely to ever forget.
On Palmerston Sprint Day (July 30), Nyhan was taken to Royal Darwin Hospital by ambulance after collapsing in the tie-ups area at the Fannie Bay racecourse.
Following treatment, he was discharged later that night.
It wasn’t the first time Nyhan, who has had minor heart issues in the past before having a stent inserted a few years ago, had endured such an ordeal after collapsing on three previous occasions at Pioneer Park when based in Alice Springs.
Nyhan returned to Fannie Bay on Darwin Cup Day (August 1) and proceedings could not have started any better when he won the first race with Mister Monaro.
Trident, rated by Nyhan as the best horse he has ever trained, lined up in the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) and mistrode at the end of the back straight at the 800m severely damaging the near fore.
Jockey Sonja Wiseman pulled Trident up immediately – tragically the injury was significant and the five-year-old gelding was euthanised.
It was a horrifying moment for Nyhan, who is in his late 50s, as he to watched the racing that day from the confines of the back straight.
Nyhan’s spirits were lifted when Jet Jackson won on Katherine Cup Day (August 13).
For the former New Zealander, it was a good day at Fannie Bay on Friday when he landed a winning double with Rojo Boom and Halogem paying $3.70 and $8.00 with the top Australian bookmakers.
Without appearing bullish, Nyhan fancied both horses.
Rojo Boom (Wiseman) got the ball rolling in the first race when the four-year-old gelding produced a barn-storming finish to grab the Tayarn Halter-trained Defence Attorney (Vanessa Arnott) right on the line over 1300m (0-58) with Halter’s Pointo’s Pick (Casey Hunter) third.
Turning for home Rojo Boom, Defence Attorney ($7) and Pointo’s Pick ($19) were battling it out for fifth, but once straightening Defence Attorney benefitted from sticking to the rails by rounding the leaders to hit the front as Rojo Boom and Pointo’s Pick headed wide.
Rojo Boom found early trouble on January 26 over 1600m (Class 2) and was bumped to the rear in a field of eight before rallying in the home straight to finish 2.5 lengths behind the winner in third place.
10/2/23 Darwin Race Replay – Race 1 (1300m)
1st: #6 Rojo Boom (7) | Jockey: Sonja Wiseman (55.5kg) | Trainer: Mark Nyhan
Halogem (Wayne Davis) is renowned for settling a long way back off the pace – usually in last place – at the start of a race before relying on a late finishing burst.
Not an ideal tactic, but since returning to the Top End from Alice Springs he hasn’t been that far away and on Friday the manoeuvre worked when the nine-year-old gelding saluted for the first time since winning in the Red Centre in October 2019.
In his 53rd start, Halogem had made ground on the leading pack over 1600m (0-64) and was withing striking distance in seventh place leaving the back straight and continued to make ground down the side along the rails as he battled for third place approaching the final corner.
In the home straight, Phil Cole’s Meadows Young Buck (Emma Lines) held a handy lead and looked set to win the last race at the 200m before the fast-finishing Halogem pounced to win by 1.7 lengths.
Davis and Lines are aligned to the Cole stable, so it was a unique to see the senior rider Davis get the better of the apprentice Lines, who produced a great ride on Meadows Young Buck ($4.20) – Gary Clarke’s $8 hope Skellig Island (Jarrod Todd) was third.
Chris Pollard’s four-year-old mare Cudjerie (Arnott), who blossomed in September, made it six wins from her last nine starts with a thrilling victory over Tom Logan’s Poupee (Wiseman) in Heat 5 of the Summer Sprint Series over 1100m (0-76).
Poupee ($1.85 fav), a last start winner, led early in the five-horse field and had Cole’s $5.50 pop El Magnificence (Lines), who ended up finishing a distance third, for company before Cudjerie ($3.30), a last start fifth when negotiating 1300m for the first time, made her move down the side after missing the start.
10/2/23 Darwin Race Replay – Race 5 (1600m)
1st: #5 Halogem (7) | Jockey: Wayne Davis (56kg) | Trainer: Mark Nyhan
In the home straight, Cudjerie, who never left the fence, took it right up to Poupee over the concluding 250m before sneaking home by a short head as Arnott turned the tables on Wiseman following a narrow loss earlier in the day.
After winning the opening event, Wiseman made it 21 wins for the season as the leading rider in the Top End by piloting Chris Nash’s Archie James ($3.10 fav) to back to back wins with the gelding blitzing his fellow four-year-old rivals over 1200m (Class 2) by 4.5 lengths.
Archie James settled in front on the fence and had Jason Manning’s $4 chance Kirakat (Arnott) and Cole’s $3.50 fancy Bartolini (Davis) by his side before sprinting clear once turning for home to overcome Bartolini and Kirakat, respectively.
She may have went down in the last race, but it wasn’t all bad news for 16-year-old apprentice Lines when she made it four wins since making her December 9 debut after guiding Cole’s ever-reliable Vunivalu ($5.50) home over 1200m (0-70).
Vunivalu, a seven-year-old gelding, now boasts a record of 37-10-9-2-6 in Darwin, and basically led from start to finish despite having Halter’s $16 contender Noble War (Hampson) and Logan’s last start winner Fromthenevernever (Wiseman), the $2.50 favourite, on his hammer exiting the back straight.
In the home straight and with 200m to go, Vunivalu was in good shape before Angela Forster’s $5.50 prospect Zoumist (Phillip Crich), the winner of the $40,000 Wet Season Series Final (1200m) on Australia Day, found space and gave chase after being camped in fourth place.
Vunivalu held on by half a length from Zoumist, while it was no surprise to see Fromthenevernever fade for third after sitting three wide most of the way.
It certainly was hard to wipe the smile off Lines’ beaming face when she returned to scale.
More horse racing news
