Cricket
Racing
Rugby
League
Motorsport
Football
Golf
Combat Sports
Basketball
Tennis
Other Sports
Sport Nation
Find your Sport Nation frequencySENTrack: Andrew O’Toole’s Friday best bets at Darwin (25/04)
Andrew O’Toole • April 25th, 2025 1:30 pm
The annual ANZAC Day fixture takes place at Fannie Bay in Darwin today – the third meeting in successive weeks – and again the fields are not large. In fact, the open 1200m failed to attract sufficient entries to hold up a race, so for the second week on end, four races will be the order of the day.
With the feature race failing to stand up, the Anzac Day Handicap (1600m), for the 0-64 performers, is the day’s highest-rated race and a field of five will contest the last event of the day. Gary Clarke, once again, holds a strong hand with two of the five runners engaged, and Desert Mist looks the best of his pair on paper.
A 5yo son of Pride of Dubai from an Encosta De Lago mare, Vital Mist, Desert Mist picked up his first Top End win at just his fourth start at Fannie Bay when proving too strong for his rivals over this trip a fortnight ago. He raced in the trail and over the concluding stages, was too strong for I’m A Dreamer, a rival again today, scoring by two lengths in a time of 1:35.01. He clearly has a liking for the distance – he has now won three times and been placed second on a further three occasions from ten starts at 1600m, and his last-start effort was actually in 0-70 grade, meaning he is actually dropping in class for this assignment.
That statistic will no doubt have him favourite today, and with Jarrod Todd again doing the steering, as he has at each of Desert Mist’s runs in Darwin, the Clarke-trained galloper should take all the beating.
Marvelous Night is another with a decent record over this distance, and although down the track last time in the race won by Desert Mist, he can be forgiven for that effort as he worked very hard in the run to secure the lead, and was then a spent force over the concluding stages, eventually beaten just under six lengths.
He did a power of work that day, and if he can get a softer lead today, from barrier four, he clearly has the ability to be very hard to beat. He has the topweight of 59kg, just as he did last time, but he is a big horse who can carry weight so that should not be an impediment to his chances. Sonja Logan again has the mount for her husband Tommy, and Marvelous Night would only need to reproduce his effort of two starts back when he chased home the smart He’s Essential to rate very highly here.
Clarke’s second stringer is Esskay, who had three starts in Alice Springs recently for two seconds – to Grinzinger Bishop and Mi Mijo – and a fourth behind subsequent Alice Springs Cup runner-up Write Your Name. The seconds both came over 1600m and although yet to win at the journey, he has placed three times from seven attempts so is clearly knocking on the door. Aaron Sweeney, who rode Esskay in each of his AS outings and gets on well with the son of Real Steel, retains the mount for this assignment.
I’m A Dreamer does not win out of turn – he has four wins and 11 seconds from a total of 49 starts – but must be considered in this company at his 50th raceday appearance. He has been chasing home some decent horses lately, including Desert Mist last start, and a winning turn may not be far away for the chestnut son of Divine Prophet. Tayarn Halter is an astute trainer who will have her charge cherry ripe for his fourth run of the current campaign.
World Affairs completes the field, and the Rubick 5yo, trained by Peter Stennett, is some chance on his best form. His latest effort produced a fourth to Desert Mist over this distance, and off the minimum, with Paul Shiers aboard, he should be included in your multiples.
The opener looks a good contest between Spirit Beast (Chris Nash/Shiers) and Physical Graffiti (Clarke/Todd), while the second looks likely to be fought out between Clarke’s pair American Jazz and Global Wonder, and Halter’s The Stifmeister. The third on the card, and also the biggest field of the day, is harder to work out, but perhaps Miami Vice, Just For Marcus and the newcomer Mr Marrakech will be front and centre in trifecta combinations.
The weather in the Top End this week has been fairly settled although there are still a few showers about, mainly in the evening. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers, most likely in the afternoon and evening. Light winds. The temperature is forecast to reach 33 degrees during the day, and 24 overnight, while 0-3mm of rain is forecast, with a 40% chance of rainfall.
The first race on the four-race card gets underway at 3.13pm (NT time), which is 3.43pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.10pm (NT time), or 5.040pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # No 3 SPIRIT BEASTCreated a good impression first-up on the track when fourth, and beaten just 1.7 lengths, behind Physical Graffiti and company over 1200m here on 12 April. That was his first run for over four months and the former SA-trained galloper will surely have derived some improvement from the outing. Steps up to 1300m here which judged on his last effort, should be very much to his liking. Paul Shiers goes aboard this week and even though drawn a little awkwardly, can prove very hard to beat.
R2 # No 1 AMERICAN JAZZFormer promising galloper who looks to be returning to somewhere near his best again. Last-start second over 1300m behind Rhesus was a solid effort, and even though back in trip to this 1200m journey, should race close to the pace and be hard to get past. Jarrod Todd has a good association with the son of American Pharoah, and Gary Clarke’s 5yo will give his rivals all and more opposition than they need.
R4 # No 2 DESERT MISTAssembling a decent record in the Top End, with four starts to date for a last-start winner over this distance of 1600m, a second, a fourth and a fifth. The fourth was behind Crown Waters in the St Pat’s Cup and got his reward next start when too strong for I’m A Dreamer and company on 12 April. Three wins and three seconds from ten starts over 1600m points to another bold showing here. The one to beat.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 3, 2, 6, 1RACE 2 – 1, 2, 4, 3RACE 3 – 1, 3, 2, 7RACE 4 – 2, 1, 3, 4
Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au
