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SENTrack: Andrew O’Toole’s Friday best bets at Darwin (06/12)
Andrew O’Toole • December 6th, 2024 4:18 pm
A second successive Friday meeting takes place at Fannie Bay today, with a five-race card highlighted by the presence of no less than 11 riders. A third meeting in consecutive weeks will take place in Darwin next Saturday (14 December), which will be the last Top End meeting prior to Christmas – racing returns to Fannie Bay following the festive season on 28 December.
The day’s feature is the bet365 Handicap, a 0-70 event over 1200m, and the smallest field of the day (5) will contest the $21,500 contest. It is a tricky affair to work out, but I have settled on the bottom weight Style And Grace to give her better performed rivals plenty to worry about.
Trained by Ella Clarke, who continues to impress as a young trainer with a real future, Style And Grace has won three of her 14 starts and been placed three times as well. She comes here off a last-start win on 19 October, and has been given plenty of time to get over that effort, when she downed Captain George by almost two lengths in a 0-64 1300m.
The daughter of Impending is up in grade and down marginally in weight and distance, neither of which is much of a consideration. However, the 5yo looks to have plenty of upside and Aaron Sweeney, who has been aboard for her last two starts, knows her well. She has drawn ideally in barrier two and will give this a real shake.
Seven Secrets created a decent impression when out-toughing Prince Ruban at his second Darwin outing three weeks ago, and is another going up in grade from 0-64 to this 0-70 event. Trained by Chris Nash, Seven Secrets had caught the eye at his first start in Darwin when second, and making up decent ground in the straight, behind the speedster Patriotic King, and his winning effort last time was no surprise. Adam Nicholls stays aboard and even though back in trip by 100m, that is not expected to be an impediment to his chances.
Topweight Pharoah Magic has done little wrong since making Darwin his home in the middle of the year, apart from his last-start effort when unplaced behind Mr Have A Chat. However, he has been racing in this grade and higher just recently and has performed creditably, and with Jarrod Todd riding for Gary Clarke, he cannot be left out of calculations.
La Boqueria is an interesting newcomer to the Top End scene. Formerly trained by Kris Lees, she is now in the stable of Chloe Baxter and will be having her first start since a third placing at Musswellbrook over 1000m on 22 August. She is the winner of three of her 13 starts and obviously possesses her share of ability, and with Wanderson D’Avila taking the steer, she should not be taken lightly.
Storm The Fortress completes the five-horse line-up and on his best form, would rate a chance. However, he has been disappointing in three starts since winning at Katherine in mid-August, so would need to improve.
Neil Dyer looks to have two decent hopes later in the day, with Miss Moov (race four) and newcomer On The Charge (race five) his representatives. Miss Moov will have a wide barrier draw to overcome but was doing her best work over the last 100m when second on Darwin debut behind Dancer For Money, while On The Charge is a lightly-raced 4yo who has a win and two seconds from his only three starts. Adam Nicholls takes the mount on the latter, while Stan Tsaikos will team up with Miss Moov.
The weather in the Top End has been mixed again this week, with fine days interspersed with very heavy rain and oppressive humidity. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach 32 degrees during the day, and 26 overnight, while a worrying 2-35mm of rain is forecast, with an 80% chance of any precipitation.
The first race on the five-race card gets underway at 3.00pm (NT time), which is 4.30pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.21pm (NT time), or 6.51pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 2 PRINCE RUBANTried really hard on his first start back in the Top End when just collared late by Seven Secrets here over this trip on 16 November. Drops back in grade from that 0-64 to a Benchmark 54 here, and Adam Nicholls takes the mount for leading trainer Gary Clarke. He should be improved by his first-up run, his first for two months, and would only have to repeat that effort to be mighty hard to hold out in this.
R4 # 7 MISS MOOV.
Draw won’t help her chances, but impressed first-up on the course when chasing solidly into second behind Dancer For Money three weeks ago. Drops back in trip but also in easier grade, taking on the maidens this time. Stan Tsaikos goes aboard for Neil Dyer and as long as she gets some luck in running from a wide gate, will be there at the finish.
Draw won’t help her chances, but impressed first-up on the course when chasing solidly into second behind Dancer For Money three weeks ago. Drops back in trip but also in easier grade, taking on the maidens this time. Stan Tsaikos goes aboard for Neil Dyer and as long as she gets some luck in running from a wide gate, will be there at the finish.
R5 # 2 ON THE CHARGEFirst start in the Top End for this last-start Warren, NSW, winner. Has only raced on three occasions for two seconds, at Gilgandra and Tamworth, and a maiden 1000m victory on 23 July. Finds his way to Darwin and trained by Neil and James Dyer, the son of Charge Forward is not taking on a vintage field in this 0-58 sprint, and can make his presence felt in the last of the day.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 2, 1, 6, 10RACE 2 – 5, 2, 1, 4RACE 3 – 1, 3, 4, 6RACE 4 – 7, 5, 8, 1RACE 5 – 2, 4, 5, 7
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