Runner up in his past three starts, Chris Nash’s Mr Have A Chat returned to the winner’s circle at Darwin on Saturday.
I’m All The Talk’s seven-year-old gelding, starting at $4.20 with online bookmakers, prevailed in a six-horse field over 1200m at 0-70 level.
Gary Clarke’s stablemates Pharoah Magic and Change Is Coming saluted last start after leading throughout – they were expected to adopt similar tactics.
With Victorian apprentice Hannah Le Blanc claiming 3kg, Mr Have A Chat lumped 57kg and was capable of challenging his more-fancied rivals.
Mr Have A Chat pinged the gates, but after jumping slowly, Change Is Coming made ground along the fence to lead after 200m.
Change Is Coming held sway over Mr Have A Chat turning for home – it was clear they would fight it out as Pharoah Magic was well adrift.
A feisty battle ensued before Mr Have A Chat edged clear to sink Change Is Coming by 1.5 lengths, with Jason Manning’s Sabor motoring home for third.
Aaron Sweeney celebrated a winning treble a fortnight ago, and his good form continued aboard Ella Clarke’s tyle And Grace and Phil Cole’s Rebellious Hope.
Style And Grace shared the early lead with stablemate Debating before overcoming Gary Clarke’s Captain George and Patrick Johnston’s Ankle Rolex by 1.7 lengths over 1300m at 0-64 level.
Rebellious Hope, making its NT debut in Class 2, finished strongly to swamp Nash’s Faithful Champion, also debuting in the Top End, and Tom Logan’s Polarising over 1000m by half a length.
Logan’s Canada Bay, ridden by wife Sonja, returned from a spell, but the mare got to an early lead before posting a narrow win over Gary Clarke’s fast-finishing Starspangledancer over 1100m – Cole’s Tricky Mikki was third.
Gary Clarke’s Extreme Emotion, partnered by Jarrod Todd, outclassed his 0-58 rivals over 1600m when he too led all the way toppling Tayarn Halter’s I’m A Dreamer and Dick Leech’s Miracoli by 2.6 lengths.
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