SENTrack: Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best bets at Darwin (19/10)

The first of three meetings that coincide with the Spring Carnival fixtures in both Melbourne and Sydney takes place at Fannie Bay today, with a five-card to whet the appetite on Caulfield Cup and The Everest Raceday. Darwin will also race next week on Cox Plate Day, while the third of the treble of meetings during the Spring Carnival, of course, takes place on Melbourne Cup Day (5 November).

Some 47 horses have accepted for today’s fixture, although it is expected that around 43 horses will compete given that there are ten riders engaged for the meeting and two fields with more runners than riders. Still, it appeals as a quality card, with the feature event, the bet365 Handicap, a 0-70 event over 1200m.

In the feature, leading trainer Gary Clarke holds a strong hand with in-form duo Pharoah Magic and Change Is Coming.

Pharoah Magic has only had a half-dozen starts in Darwin, and already has three wins on the board. He has never been out of the first four in those six starts, and was good winning in this grade over 1300m last time out on 5 October. His overall record reads 12 starts for four wins, two seconds and a third, and he is a promising 5yo son of American Pharoah. He has a good weight to carry (61kg) and has drawn a little awkwardly at barrier five in the six-horse field. That said, he is a quality individual who will take plenty of beating.

Stablemate Change Is Coming, on the other hand, has drawn ideally in barrier 1, although he will need to jump well from the inside gate. He has a few tricks at the gates and could be in some bother should he miss the jump. However, he is talented and has won two of his last three starts. Jarrod Todd has elected to ride him and with a 2kg pull in the weights over his stablemate, should be right in the finish should everything go according to plan.

Mr Have A Chat is highly consistent, having won four starts back and finishing second at his three most recent starts behind Storm the Fortress (Katherine), Flying Annie and Doc O’Connor. He is genuine and races on the pace, so if Change Is Coming misses the kick, Mr Have A Chat could well lead and take plenty of catching. Hannah Le Blanc’s 3kg claim brings him in nicely with 57kg.

Of the others, Envenomate could sprint well fresh, while Sabor and Disco Donut would need to improve on their latest unplaced efforts in Darwin.

Clarke has a number of good chances on the day, including Starspangledancer in the Sitzler Handicap and Magnetic Tycoon and Extreme Emotion in the Silks Darwin Handicap, while daughter Ella looks well-placed in the day’s opener, the TAB Same Race Multi Handicap, with Style And Grace and Debating both decent chances in the 1300m event. Newcomer Faithful Champion, trained by Chris Nash, appeals in the ROANT TROBIS Handicap, although his barrier of six is not ideal.

The weather in the Top End has been a little unsettled this week, with a couple of decent bursts of rain overnight on Tuesday and Wednesday. The humidity therefore has increased appreciably. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. Medium chance of showers. Light winds becoming north-westerly 15 to 20 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach 33 degrees during the day, and 25 overnight, while a maximum of 4mm of rain is forecast, with a 50% chance of any precipitation.

The first race on the five-race card gets underway at 2.40pm (NT time), which is 4.10pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.08pm (NT time), or 6.38pm in New South Wales and Victoria.

BEST BETS

R1 # 9 STYLE AND GRACE
Lightly-raced 5yo with a good record from just four starts in the Top End. Was an impressive winner three starts back during the Carnival over this trip of 1300m before failing on Darwin Cup Day in the sales race. Resumed from a six-week break with a good third, beaten two lengths, by Yaki Ishi over 1200m on 21 September, and the step up in distance should be ideal for her here. Few chances here but Ella Clarke’s mare looks the best of them.

R3 # 3 STARSPANGLEDANCER
Capable sprinting mare resuming from a three-month break. Won two starts back on Day 1 of the Darwin Cup Carnival before failing in the Rosebowl over 1300m. Back to 1100m should suit her – she has won at the trip from just four attempts – and she races well in a fresh state. Drawn nicely in barrier three and Jarrod Todd has the mount for leading trainer Gary Clarke. Should be prominent from the gate and hard to run down.

R5 # 1 MAGNETIC TYCOON
Establishing a good record at this trip of 1600m. Won last time over the journey and in this 0-58 grade on 14 September, and overall record at the distance reads four starts for two wins, a second and a third placing. Has taken a while to put it altogether but seems on the right track now and can go back-to-back in the last of the day for the Clarke/Aaron Sweeney combination.

SELECTIONS

RACE 1 – 9, 5, 3, 8
RACE 2 – 3, 1, 2, 6
RACE 3 – 3, 1, 6, 4
RACE 4 – 1, 2, 4, 5
RACE 5 – 1, 5, 2, 7

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