Gold Coast jockey Wanderson D’Avila had the most perfect Darwin debut on Tuesday when he landed a winning treble.
D’Avila saluted aboard Phil Cole’s stablemates Tubthumper — a $5 chance with online bookmakers — as well as Houston Star ($15) and Tricky Mikki ($5.50).
Tubthumper, a past Darwin Guineas winner, got the ball rolling when the five-year-old mare led all the way in the $30,000 Open Handicap over 1300m.
Reduced to a field of four, the daughter of Zoustar proved too good for Gary Clarke’s pair Shakattak — the $1.75 favourite — and Siakam to win by 4.2 lengths.
That made it six wins from 12 Darwin starts for Tubthumper after racing for Annabel Neasham in Queensland.
Houston Star, who had the inside gate, was having his first start and sat just off the pace in the 1200m maiden before D’Avila flicked the switch turning for home.
Getting off the fence, the four-year-old mare finished the closing 350m stylishly to overcome Chris Pollard’s pair Go Barney Go and Three Jacks by 3.4 lengths.
After four minor placings from four starts since debuting at Fannie Bay in August, Tricky Mikki got that first win by rolling Ella Clarke’s Debating and Neil Dyer’s Hachiman in a Class 2 over 1100m.
The five-year-old mare from Tasmania jumped to an early lead and showed tremendous spirit in the home straight to win by two lengths after it appeared as though Debating would prevail.
Wangaratta apprentice Jessica Booth also tasted success on debut in Darwin when the Dick Leech-trained Envenomate — a $7.50 prospect with top betting sites — swooped late to sink Pollard’s Disco Donut and Chloe Baxter’s Swing With Junior over 1100m at 0-70 level.
Not only was it the seven-year-old gelding’s first win since December, it was also Leech’s first victory since returning from a six-month ban.
Angela Forster’s Kessler, ridden by Vanessa Arnott and starting at $8.50, was never far off the pace before winning impressively over 1300m against 0-58 opposition.
Pollard’s $11 runner A Big Chance, who won the Kununurra Cup (1800m) in August, snuck home over 1600m in 0-64 grade.
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