Darwin Cup winning jockey Paul Shiers celebrated Melbourne Cup Day with a winning double at Fannie Bay.
Shiers sealed victory aboard Gary Lefoe’s $6 hope Mighty Murt over 1100m at 0-70 level and Dick Leech’s maiden performer King’s Star over 1200m.
Since guiding Leech’s Write Your Name to victory in the Darwin Cup in August, Shiers had only claimed one win after saluting on Tayarn Halter’s Pocket Pistol in October.
Mighty Murt, who now boasts six wins from 10 starts in Darwin, made it three straight after getting the cash over 1200m at 0-64 and 1100m at 0-70 level in Alice Springs in October for trainer Lisa Whittle.
The six-year-old grey gelding, the son of Murtajill, sat outside Bel’s Banner early as they trailed the pacemakers Niewand, Just Strolling, Rising Sphere and El Magnificence.
Bel’s Banner was flattened when Just Strolling fell away at the 500m, but Mighty Murt – sitting three deep – made ground on the leaders approaching the home turn.
Once straightening, Mighty Murt headed for an inside passage at the 300m as Niewand attempted to hold off Rising Sphere and El Magnificence.
At the 200m, Mighty Murt edged clear and looked the winner before +1400 backmarker Pocket Pistol flashed home to fall 0.2 lengths short of victory with Rising Sphere (+650) third.
For Lefoe, who has only just returned from a 15-month suspension, it was his first Darwin win since Anzac Day last year and his first win since Tennant Creek Cup Day in May 2022.
After winning the Darwin Cup, as well as the Palmerston Sprint with Early Crow, Leech’s only win before Tuesday was at Kununurra in September.
King’s Star, a four-year-old gelding by Zoustar, managed a third from three starts in Darwin after debuting in the north in July before finishing unplaced in two Kununurra starts.
Camped in fifth place, King’s Star was blocked for a run at the 500m before he set after the leaders when turning for home.
A $13 fancy, King’s Star was battling it out with three rivals at the 250m before edging clear to overcome +280 prospect Beatification by 0.7 lengths with +900 contender No Rain No Flowers close by in third place.
Gary Clarke and Jarrod Todd, Darwin’s leading trainer and jockey, combined for a winning double after Patriotic King (+200 fav) toppled his Class 2 rivals over 1100m before American Jazz (+130 fav) proved too classy over 1600m against 0-64 opposition.
Patriotic King, a five-year-old gelding, set the track record for 1100m (1.01.84) in September before a narrow last start second behind Exceedingly Magic over 1000m at Class 2 level in October as a +105 favourite.
Velvet Revolution, an emphatic winner on her Darwin debut in October, pinged out of the gates, but it wasn’t long before Patriotic King, the son of Starspangledancer, moved up on the inside to share the lead.
Passing the 600m, Patriotic King skipped away and was home once rounding the final bend before rolling fast-finishing $31 outsider Bon’s Pride by 1.4 lengths with the well-supported +210 runner Fly Nice third.
American Jazz made it three straight wins with relative ease after getting to the fence and sharing the early lead with the in-form The Albion, Zourisky and Benevolent.
Into the back straight, American Jazz, the son of American Pharoah, and stablemate Zourisky held sway out in front before the former skipped clear of the latter passing the 600m – The Albion wasn’t that far away.
Turning for home, American Jazz, victorious by 12 lengths in a 1300m maiden in August, went on with it to overcome +240 hope The Albion by 2.5 lengths – the pair finished first and second over 1300m in 0-58 class in September.
Field Commander, Clarke’s +2000 prospect, settled fifth and made ground down the side before coming third.
Only four runners contested the feature race – a $30,000 open handicap over 1300m – with the Halter-trained +110 favourite City Regal outclassing Clarke’s pair Vallabar (+150) and Strategic Phil (+600).
Sonja Logan, fresh from riding a treble at Alice Springs on Saturday, had City Regal, the son of City Place, sitting outside Surreal Image and Strategic Phil out in front before the five-year-old gelding assumed control exiting the back straight.
Vallabar, two lengths adrift of the leading trio, picked up the pace at the 500m, but couldn’t bridge the gap turning for home as City Regal finally tasted success in the Top End at the sixth attempt.
New Enterprise made it two wins from his past three starts and made it eight wins this season for in-form trainer Peter Stennett with an impressive display over 1300m against 0-58 opposition.
The son of Anacheeva, a five-year-old gelding, started at +500 from a wide gate and settled fifth before heading four wide to sit outside fellow leader Looking For You leaving the back straight.
Capistan, the +240 favourite, and Wilsons Prom shook off Bartolini and Ruby Ruby down the side, but the two leaders had skipped away.
Looking For You, a +380 hope, led narrowly turning for home before Stan Tsaikos was able to get the best out of New Enterprise over the closing stages despite covering so much ground.
With 100m to go, New Enterprise hit the front before overcoming Wilsons Prom, a +550 chance, by 1.1 lengths with +380 candidate Looking For You not far away in third place.
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