Having his first start since Darwin Cup Day, Zourata showed his class with an all the way win in the Ladbrokes Summer Sprint Series (heat 1) Handicap, feature event at Fannie Bay on Friday.

Now in the stable of Terry Gillett after being prepared by two-time Darwin Cup winning trainer Peter Robl at the Gold Coast, Zourata jumped straight to the front from barrier two and rider Hannah Le Blanc rated her mount perfectly.

She allowed Zourata to stride more freely approaching the home turn and dashed for home with a handy break.

But Crown Waters, better known over 1600m and further, began to eat into the margin as the post loomed and failed by just a neck. La Boqueria battled along the inner to take third.

Gillett plans to give his charge another run or two before freshening the six-year-old son of Zoustar for a tilt at the Alice Springs Cup carnival.

“He handles the Alice Springs track well and he is a quality galloper,” Gillett said.

“I was a bit worried that the 1100m might pull him up late, but he hung on gamely and Hannah rode him a treat.”

Zourata, raced by a group of owners headed by well-known businessman John “Foxy” Robinson, has won nine races from 29 starts and with three seconds and a third has earnings of almost $180,000.

Just Albert, who broke his maiden at the previous meeting in Darwin, went back-to-back at the Bay with a dominant win in the TAB Handicap (1300m).

Trained by Paul Shiers and with apprentice Deborah Barton in the saddle, Just Albert was given a lovely run in the trail behind pacemaker Debating and popped off his back rounding the home turn.

He was soon alongside the leader and went on by, racing clear under a minimum of urging to score by 4 1/2 lengths from Debating with Astern Magic third.

Just Albert, a son of Encryption, has always shown ability and now he has his barrier and racing manners in order, looks set for further success.

He has now won two of his six starts for stakes of $32,730.

Shiers bookended the program when I Loverain, a newcomer to the stable, got the chocolates in the bet365 Handicap (1000m) to give the trainer his second double in successive Darwin meetings.

The four-year-old grey son of Ilovethiscity, formerly prepared by Richard and Chantelle Jolly in Adelaide, was purchased by his trainer for $12,200 at a recent online auction and, with Aaron Sweeney in the saddle, received a lovely run in transit behind Oakland Raider.

When that runner began to give ground passing the 500m, Anecdotal assumed control but out a bit wider on the track as ILoverain stuck to the rails and dashed through to lead.

He always looked to be holding his rivals over the final stages although Polarising, who missed the jump badly, made up a heap of ground but was still 1 1/4 lengths away on the line. Anecdotal held on to take third, a further two lengths back.

Physical Graffiti, after a tooth-and-nail struggle with favourite Time To Baca, got in the deciding stride to win the Become A DTC Member Handicap (1200m) by a short neck.

Jarrod Todd led aboard Gary Clarke’s charge with King Akeed on his outer and Time To Baca out three wide.

The latter loomed up to challenge halfway down the home straight but could not bridge the gap to Physical Graffiti. Miami Baby rattled home to take third, three quarters of a length away.

Phyisical Graffiti, a five year old son of Russian Revolution, has won four times from just 18 starts and with four minor placings as well, has stakes of just over $117,000.

The race was held up for well over an hour after Jumping Power Two flipped over in the gates, landing on rider Sonya Logan. The popular jockey, who remained conscious, was attended to by the St John paramedics before being transported to Royal Darwin Hospital with pelvic injuries.

Clarke and Todd were in the winner’s enclosure again in the very next event, the ROANT TROBIS Handicap (1200m), when newcomer Fury came with a solid home-straight run to down Rossanado by three-quarters of a length.

Fury, formerly trained by Ciaron Maher, was tardily away but Todd didn’t panic and allowed his mount to find his feet as Tough Impact led the field to the 600m.

He began to improve his position approaching the home turn and came quickly at the 200m before seeing off a game Rossanado with Tough Impact four lengths away third.

Clarke said: “That was a good effort.

“We might need to work on his racing pattern a bit, but I was pleased with the way he hit the line.”

Fury, a son of Written Tycoon, has been lightly raced as his Darwin debut was only his 13th start.

He has won twice and been placed four times and has stakes of more than $76,000.

Story Courtesy of Andrew O’Toole