Struck Gold continued his stellar run of form in 2026 with a third win from his last four starts in the TAB Handicap, feature event at Fannie Bay on Friday.
Trained by Ella Clarke, whose charge Hotim English was just touched off in the day’s opener by Fly, trained by her father Gary, Struck Gold and Jarrod Todd began like a bullet while Predicting and Dakota Gillett came out terribly, effectively extinguishing his chances.
Struck Gold was joined by Convincebility as the 600m mark came and went, but it was clear the leader was travelling the better, such was the soft lead he had early in the event.
Todd gave his mount a kick at the top of the straight and he found plenty, and although Convincebility tried his hardest, he was just under two lengths adrift at the line, with Wolfburn a length back.
The run of the race came from the latter, carrying 62.5kg and having his first start since 14 February. He has had a few issues with a foot but the way in which he charged to the line augurs well for his preparation, which could include a tilt at the Alice Springs Cup in just over five weeks.
Struck Gold, a 6yo son of Castledale, has now won six races from 25 starts, and with the same number of seconds and thirds, has stakes of in excess of $181,000.
Atlantic Ocean, at his 11th start in Darwin, finally broke through for a deserved win in the Cup Carnival On Sale Now Handicap (1200m).
Giving Paul Shiers his ninth winner of the season – placing him fifth in the trainer’s premiership – Atlantic Ocean, in the hands of apprentice Deborah Barton, trailed the leader Orion The Hunter on the inside rail and was right there to issue a challenge on the home turn.
Barton stuck to the inside, but the gap closed and she angled her mount around Orion The Hunter’s heels and hit the line the stronger to win by a long head. Fury, who was on-pace throughout, took third three lengths away.
Atlantic Ocean, a 6yo son of I Am Invincible, is raced by a syndicate headed by trainer’s wife Leola. He has now won six of his 40 starts, and with a further nine placings, has stakes of in excess of $290,000.
Barton, who has only had her license since September last year, brought up her 20th career win and her fourth double when No I’m Not stormed home from a seemingly impossible position to score in the bet365 Handicap (1200m).
One of five in the event trained by Chris Pollard, No I’m Not was slowly into stride and was still giving the leaders Lady Fireball, Carat Time and July a big start as the field swung into the home straight.
But she produced her mount out in the centre of the track and although inclined to run around, Barton straightened her mount and dashed late to get up in the shadows of the post to beat stablemates July and Lady Fireball by a neck and a-length, giving Pollard the trifecta.
No I’m Not has now won twice from 17 starts, and with four placings as well, has stakes of $46,627.
Fly continued his fine 4yo form with a narrow, gutsy victory in the Sportsbet Handicap (1300m).
With Todd in the saddle, Gary Clarke’s chestnut jumped well from the inside gate and held the co-lead and more importantly, the inside rail, from the outset. He found a good kick at the 250m mark but then had to withstand the solid finish of Hotim English, who got within a head at the line.
Fly, a son of Merchant Navy, has had four starts this campaign for three wins and a second. He was all out on the line and it appears that 1300m, certainly at this stage of his career, is as far as he wants to go.
Miss Black Diamond, with Hannah Le Blanc in the saddle, went straight to the front in the Rydges Palmerston Handicap (1200m) and was not for catching.
Trained by Tommy Logan, Miss Black Diamond was first-up since late November, and stripped in first-class order. She raced accordingly, reaching the line a length and a-quarter to the good of Straya Pride, who chased hard, with Rising Water a battling third a similar margin away.
Miss Black Diamond, a 6yo daughter of Russian Revolution, has now won three of her 25 starts, and with no less than seven seconds and five thirds, has stakes of just short of $110,000.
Phil Cole, not surprisingly, sent out the winner of the Silks Carvery Sunday TROBIS Special Conditions Plate (1200m) – he had all five runners engaged.
And it was Pleasing Smile, in the hands of Raymond Vigar, who sat outside the leader God’s Eye but still proved too strong for Sassy Abbey and company over the concluding stages to score by three lengths. God’s Eye was the same margin back in third.
Pleasing Smile, a 3yo son of Peltzer, has shown decent ability in 10 starts to date, and now he has broken through for his maiden win, he looks the type to improve further.
Story Courtesy Andrew O’Toole