Andrew O’Toole’s SATURDAY best at Darwin (14/02)

A tremendous card of six races awaits us at Fannie Bay in Darwin today, and again the fortnightly racing schedule has had a strong influence on the strength and size of the fields this week. With nine riders in attendance, including three visitors and the returning Dakota Gillett, almost all of the 48 acceptors will gain a start barring setbacks.

The two features on the day are the $25,500 Rydges Palmerston Handicap for the open sprinters over 1100m, and the $23,400 Renew Your DTC Membership Handicap, a Benchmark 76 over 1300m.

The former has attracted just five runners, but they are a fabulous five, with returning Wolfburn, Great Buy, Field Of Flutes and Stormfront taking on the only runner to have had a start - and a win - in recent times in Zourata, and for this reason, the Terry Gillett-trained 6yo son of Zoustar looks the one to beat.

Formerly trained by Peter Robl, Zourata has been in the Gillett stable in Darwin for some months now, and in his first start since finishing a game second to Wild Beau in the Montgomerie Lightning on Darwin Cup Day, he showed his class by scoring over this trip in a BM76 on 9 January.

Hannah Le Blanc was aboard that day and Zourata led throughout and held out the fast finish of Crown Waters by 0.3 lengths. Crown Waters, in her only subsequent start, scored impressively over 1300m on 31 January.

Gillett’s daughter Dakota, who has been sidelined recently with a hairline fracture of a heel, makes her return to race riding today and has a great rapport with Zoustar, having piloted the sprinter five times in Alice Springs and Darwin for three wins, a third and an eighth in last year’s Palmerston Sprint behind three-time winner Early Crow.

Zourata, by all accounts, has gone on the right way since his first-up win this campaign and from the inside gate should by able to lead and will take a power of running down.

His rivals, with the exception of Field Of Flutes, are all better performed at longer trips than 1100m, although all being fresh, could easily sprint well.

Field Of Flutes last raced when second to Boldhino on 25 October and is a quality sprinter, while Great Buy, a stablemate of Zourata, won a heat of the ROANT Cup (1300m) last year and has won twice first-up.

Topweight Wolfburn last started when fourth in the Darwin Cup behind two-time winner Hadouken, but has done plenty of work and has won in a fresh state previously, although he will be having his first career start over this trip.

The other contender is Stormfront, another former Robl galloper who is now in the powerful Gary Clarke team. He trialled recently and while not asked to do much, looked forward for this assignment. He was a last-start winner of the Dabble Cup (1300m) on Day 6 of the 2025 Darwin Cup Carnival and is one-from-one at this distance, although earlier in his career.

The other feature over 1300m pits Crown Waters against Forms Of Fear, who filled the quinella positions when they last met on 31 January.

Crown Waters, trained by Tommy Logan and to be ridden by Le Blanc who was aboard a fortnight ago, has returned for this campaign in great order, with two seconds before her latest win. She is probably looking for further than this distance now but that said, has two wins and a second from only three starts at the trip. She looks certain to be hard to beat again.

Forms Of Fear was game in defeat last time at just his second attempt at 1300m, and should have come on for that run. He is a front-runner who if allowed to set his own rules, will take some catching.

Capitol Hill, last year’s NT Derby winner, has had two starts this campaign for two fifth placings, but he looks on target for the St Patrick’s Day Cup in mid-March and must be considered here. Atlantic Ocean was never on the track last time behind Crown Waters and should be allowed another chance, with Deborah Barton’s 3kg claim a distinct advantage.

Of the remainder, Maxxi Bon is an interesting newcomer to the Chris Nash stable, having won two starts back in Saturday grade at Morphettville, while Prince Ruban, New Enterprise and Galaxy General are all capable on their day.

The weather in Darwin this week has again been a mixture of rain and fine weather. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming northwesterly 15 to 20km/h in the middle of the day then becoming light in then late evening. The temperature is forecast to reach 30 degrees, and it will be 25 degrees overnight. There is a 90% chance of 4-35mm of rain.

The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.58pm (NT time), which is 3.28pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.02pm (NT time), or 6.32pm in New South Wales and Victoria.

BEST BETS

R1 # 5 PLEASING SMILE
3yo son of Peltzer who has gone two top races, out of his grade, at his only two starts in the Top End. Came to Darwin with placed form from four starts in Victoria and has not disappointed with seconds behind Fly in a 0-58 1100m and then behind the same horse in a feature 0-70 over 1200m. The extra trip here should suit admirably and the Phil Cole/Wayne Davis combination looks a great bet to be in the winner’s circle in the day’s opener.

R3 # 1 I LOVERAIN
Lightly-raced grey son of Ilovethiscity who won first-up here over 1000m before a game fourth to Fly and company on 31 January in a 0-70 1200m. Paul Shiers’ gelding drops back significantly in grade for this assignment and Aaron Sweeney retains the mount. Drawn nicely in barrier three and with even luck, should take a power of beating.

R6 # 3 JUELENE
7yo mare racing in great form for the Tommy Logan stable. Won two starts back over this trip and was then a fine second to Starspangledancer over the same trip in this grade on 27 December. Has had a let-up since but races well on the fresh side. Hannah Le Blanc goes aboard this time and the daughter of Rebel Dane looks one of the better bets of the day in the last on the card.

SELECTIONS

RACE 1 – 5, 6,1, 3
RACE 2 – 2, 1, 4, 3
RACE 3 – 1, 6, 10, 5
RACE 4 – 7, 3, 8, 6
RACE 5 – 3, 4, 5, 2
RACE 6 – 3, 8, 1, 4

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