Racing
League
Rugby
Football
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Motorsport
Netball
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
FWC: MEX v RSA from 6am, SN ExtraAndrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Darwin (13/06)
Andrew O’Toole • June 11th, 2026 5:06 pm
As will be the norm from now until the first Saturday in August, weekly racing again takes place at Fannie Bay today as the countdown to the Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival continues unabated. As well as the usual Saturday fare, there will also be two Wednesdays during the Carnival, which of course culminates with the running of the Darwin Cup on the first Monday in August.
Unlike last week when only five races were contested, this time there will be a full card of six events, headlined by the $28,000 Mitcon Projects Open over 1200m. It has attracted an excellent field of seven runners headlined by super sprinter Dakota Lee, who will clash with highly impressive Alice Springs Cup Day winner Arizona Activist for the first time. The clash, along with the presence of other protagonists such as Devils Delight, Flying Yishu and Great Buy, will be worth the price of admission alone.
Dakota Lee’s trainer Terry Gillett was tossing up whether to accept with the 7yo mare today but reasoned that if she didn’t run, she would be going into the ROANT Cup (1300m) on 27 June without a run for five weeks, so decided to allow her her chance. The daughter of Kuroshio handled her first start at Fannie Bay with aplomb on 23 May when accounting for Awash and company over the ROANT Cup distance.
And not surprisingly, she has been burdened with topweight of 64kg, a huge weight for a mare but one which will be reduced by 1.5kg due to apprentice Dakota Gillett’s claim. She will still be giving away a minimum of 3.5kg and up to 7.5kg to her rivals, but such is her great ability and with an ideal barrier of three, it is hard to see her being beaten. Her record over this trip reads five wins from five starts, and she again promises to carry her army of supporters through in the third event on the day’s programme.
Arizona Activist, trained by Chloe Baxter, created a big impression on his first start in the Territory when storming to victory in the open 1000m at Alice Springs on 4 May. He proved far too good for Pompeii Empire and company and will get his chance to compete for the first time on what is now his home course. Paul Shiers takes the mount on the 5yo son of Written Tycoon, who has drawn barrier six. There will be plenty of pace inside Arizona Activist but he did not lead in his Alice Springs win and could well sit off the speed and come with the last run. He has form over longer trips than this and should be strong late, although he did miss a run a week ago when his intended target, a Benchmark 76 1100m, failed to stand up.
Great Buy, a stablemate of Dakota Lee, went a terrific race in the Pioneer Sprint on 2 May, finishing off stoutly along the inner to finish seventh and only 3.5 lengths from the winner. He has a good record over this distance and is a previous winner on this track, having taken out a division of the ROANT Cup (1300m) almost 12 months ago. Wayne Davis takes the mount and a bold showing here in his first start for six weeks would come as no surprise.
Devils Delight has progressed nicely through the grades and with seven wins from 27 starts, is fashioning a good record for leading trainer Gary Clarke. He chased home stablemate Field Of Flutes when last produced five weeks ago and from an inside gate with Jarrod Todd in the saddle, he will be prominent for a long way. It is difficult to see him holding out Dakota Lee for the lead, but he could well prove a thorn in her side.
Flying Yishu, trained in Alice Springs by Greg Connor, could manage only eighth in the Pioneer but was not beaten far, and has been a tremendous performer for his connections with ten wins, ten seconds and a third from just 32 starts. He has the outside draw to contend with so in-form apprentice Lek Maloney will have a job to do, but on his day, the son of Flying Artie can make his presence felt.
Spanish Fox and Crown Waters are stablemates in the Tommy Logan stable and both have claims, the former having his first Top End start after performing with credit in some decent company in Queensland, while the latter, better known over more ground, possesses a strong finish to her races and could surprise in a fresh state.
On what is a decent card although a little short in field size, Orion The Hunter makes plenty of appeal in the day’s opener, Romantic Love looks a good chance on his Darwin debut in the second, Yule Point looks likely to break his maiden duck in race four, while the returning Jumping Power Two and former Derby winner Anphina should be hard to beat in the last two legs of the quaddie.
The weather in Darwin this week has been nice and fine although on Monday there was actually an early-morning shower. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is expected to reach 33 degrees during the day, so it is still a little warm for this time of the year, and 23 overnight. There is just a 10% chance of any rain.
The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 2.13pm (NT time), which is 2.43pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.13pm (NT time), or 5.43pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R2 # 2 ROMANTIC LOVEFormer Brett Robb-trained 4yo with two wins to his credit at Warren and Narromine. Lightly-raced 4yo now in the stable of Terry Gillett and having his first start in the Top End. Trialled in good fashion here on Tuesday alongside open sprinter Zourata, and this doesn’t look the strongest lot on paper. Drawn out a little but that may not be an impediment to his chances. Should take plenty of beating.
R3 # 1 DAKOTA LEEHard to bet against the top sprinter in the NT after her second Pioneer Sprint victory in Alice Springs two starts back and then a workmanlike 1300m win, at her first start in the Top End, on 23 May. With a record of 14 wins and a second from 16 starts, she has earned her place at the top of the handicap but will have that reduced by Dakota Gillett’s 1.5kg apprentice claim. Drawn to be on the speed and it will take a good one to lower her colours.
R5 # 2 JUMPING POWER TWOHas won his only four starts in Darwin after joining Tommy Logan’s stable in August last year. However, when last produced he flipped over in the starting stalls and has since been sent south for some remedial barrier work. By all accounts handled that well and has returned to the Top End to resume his career. Drawn out a little which will mean he will probably be loaded late which could be an advantage. Can continued on his winning way if he does everything right at the start.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 4, 9, 3, 6RACE 2 – 2, 1, 3, 6RACE 3 – 1, 5, 4, 6RACE 4 – 3, 1, 2, 4RACE 5 – 2, 1, 5, 4RACE 6 – 5, 2, 7, 8
Imagine what you could be buying instead. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
