Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Olympics
Football
Netball
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Full Noise by SN
Live sport on SN this weekendAndrew O’Toole’s SATURDAY best at Darwin (28/02)
Andrew O’Toole • February 28th, 2026 2:00 pm
A fantastic off-season programme of six races awaits us at Fannie Bay in Darwin today, and with no less than 13 jockeys in attendance, including six visitors, it is more like a Carnival fixture than a late-February meeting. It is the first of three consecutive weeks of racing in the Top End and although there are three smaller fields, the other three races boast capacity line-ups, or very close to it, which is great for this time of year.
The feature event is the $25,500 Ladbrokes Summer Sprint Series (Heat 5) Handicap over 1200m for the open sprinters, and unfortunately it is one of the smaller fields of the day, with just five runners down to do battle. However, two of the most in-form sprinters in Darwin at present, Zourata and Forms Of Fear, are among the handful of runners, and that pair, along with last year’s Palmerston Sprint runner-up Bon’s Pride, look set to fight out the finish.
Of the trio, Zourata looks the hardest to beat, having won his last two starts in impressive fashion. Formerly trained by Peter Robl at the Gold Coast, Zourata is now in the care of Terry Gillett in Darwin and has not put a foot wrong since resuming from a five-month break after finishing second to Wild Beau in the Montgomerie Lightning on Darwin Cup Day last year.
He resumed on 9 January over 1100m and although chased hard by Crown Waters, had her measure in a close finish. He had five weeks between runs before trouncing his rivals over the same trip in open grade on 14 February, scoring effortlessly by 8.3 lengths from Stormfront.
He steps up in trip to 1200m here and for the second start in succession, has just four rivals to beat at a trip at which he has won once from four attempts. Gillett’s daughter Dakota, who returned at the last meeting after a period on the sidelines with a heel fracture, again has the steer on Zourata and has a great rapport with the son of Zoustar, having piloted the sprinter six times in Alice Springs and Darwin for four wins, a third and an eighth in last year’s Palmerston Sprint behind three-time winner Early Crow.
Although Zourata has drawn the outside of the five after being in the inside gate last time, he is still expected to either lead on the fence or sit outside possibly Forms Of Fear, who has drawn gate four. The first 100m will be interesting, as both horses possess a ton of early pace.
Forms Of Fear is the obvious danger to Zourata, and has returned this campaign in great heart for trainer Tayarn Halter. He won first-up on 5 December, blotted his copybook somewhat when only sixth behind Zourata on 9 January but has since finished a game second over 1300m behind Crown Waters before getting his revenge last time over the same trip on 14 February, beating Atlantic Ocean and Crown Waters.
Raymond Vigar has won no less than four times on the 6yo son of Written Tycoon and, not surprisingly, takes the mount again here. The drop back in trip to 1200m will not worry Forms Of Fear, who seems certain to give Zourata a great run for his money.
Bon’s Pride cannot be left out of calculations in what promises to be an intriguing contest. Jason Manning’s 6yo son of Bon Aurum has been a model of consistency since being purchased for $22,000 from the 2023 Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale held in Darwin, amassing stakes of over $170,000, the result of seven wins and seven second placings in just 19 starts.
He has been ridden almost exclusively during his Top End career by Vanessa Arnott – Paul Shiers has had two rides on the bay gelding for a win and a second – but Arnott makes way today for the Territory’s leading rider, Jarrod Todd. Todd is a fine horseman and he will no doubt relish the chance to take the raceday sit on Manning’s stable star, who has four wins and four seconds from ten starts over 1200m. Leave him out of your multiples at your peril!
Great Buy, having his second start this campaign, cannot be left out of calculations either, such is his fine overall record of 69 starts for 14 wins, 14 seconds and seven thirds, with stakes of over $444,000. He gives Gillett a strong second-stringer in the event, and he should be improved for his first-up run behind Zourata over 1100m on 14 February.
Gillett has the only other runner in the event too, Private Tender, who will be having his first start in the Top End. The son of All Too Hard is the winner of just two races, and he may find this a bit rich.
The weather in Darwin this week has again been a mixture of rain and fine spells. The official forecast for today reads: Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds westerly 15 to 25 km/h. The temperature is forecast to reach 30 degrees, and it will be 25 degrees overnight. There is a 95% chance of 8-35mm of rain, so if the forecast is right, it could be a wet afternoon as it was for the last meeting in the Top End a fortnight ago.
The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.49pm (NT time), which is 3.19pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.56pm (NT time), or 6.26pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R2 # 6 SASS3yo daughter of Bon Aurum who continues to race well in the Top End. Broke her maiden here two starts back over 1300m, and followed that up with a solid second to stablemate Rock Revolution when stepped up to 1600m, the trip again this time, on 31 January. Midweek Launceston Cup-winning jockey Jett Stanley takes the mount on his first day’s riding in Darwin, and he will no doubt give his mount every chance for trainer Chloe Baxter.
R3 # 1 FURYCreated a good impression on his first start at Fannie Bay on 9 January when proving too strong for Rossanado, a winner since, over 1200m in class 2 grade. The former Team Hawkes and Ciaron Maher-trained 5yo contests a 0-64 this time but has the right draw (4) and trip (1300m) to again give his rivals plenty to worry about. While yet to win at the distance, has been placed twice from three attempts and can keep his unbeaten record in the Top End intact.
R5 # 1 STRUCK GOLD6yo son of Castledale who broke through for his first Top End success at the sixth time of asking on 17 January. Followed that up with a good third, beaten just 1.3 lengths, behind Crown Waters over 1300m four weeks ago, and the drop back to 1100m here should not prove an impediment to his chances. Has been placed at each of his four runs over this trip, and in this five-horse field from a good gate, should take plenty of beating.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 2, 4, 3, 5RACE 2 – 6, 8, 1, 9RACE 3 – 1, 3, 9, 5RACE 4 – 1, 4, 3, 2RACE 5 – 1, 2, 4, 3RACE 6 – 1, 4, 2, 5
What's gambling really costing you? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
