Leveraged Buyout completed the coveted Top End three-year-old double with a dominant display in the $150,000 Ladbrokes NT Derby, feature event on Day 4 of the Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival on Saturday.
And in the process, the son of Dundeel provided veteran trainer Dick Leech with his first Derby success, and apprentice Jade Hampson went one better than she did 12 months ago when runner-up in the same race aboard Vanguard Legend.
The hot favourite on the back of a sensational victory in the DCOH Darwin Guineas a fortnight before, Leveraged Buyout, given a lovely steer by the 22yo, never really gave his army of supporters cause for alarm.
After jumping well enough, Hampson allowed her mount to trail about sixth or seventh in transit as Rivers Of Babylon led from Love To Lie, Maldini, Hopeless Romantic, Grinzinger Tundra and Garrix.
Leveraged Buyout relaxed well and enjoyed a nice run one-off the fence until the 450m mark when Hampson decided to put her mount into the race around runners, and the response was immediate.
He swept around those in front of him and took the lead with 280m to go, and had the race in safe keeping soon after. He reached the line a length to the good of Crazy Town, who came from last on the home turn, with Garrix a good third a half-length away after being held up momentarily around the final corner.
When asked about a run in the Great Northern Darwin Cup on Monday fortnight, Leech quipped: “I might take him to Kalgoorlie! He’s a tough bugger and will cop the travel!
“We’ll just get him home, see how he pulls up and then make a call. Jade gave him a super ride and he proved he’s the best 3yo in the Territory,” said Leech.
Hampson, who has only recently returned from an 11-month break from race riding after badly injuring her hands and fingers in a barrier mishap on the Gold Coast, was delighted to have won for Leech.
“I won the Alice Cup for Dick on Write Your Name in 2023 but then had a bad fall here and couldn’t ride him when he won the Darwin Cup that same year. But I’ve got my Cup ride now,” she said.
“He travelled so well throughout but I had to get going when I did as I didn’t want to get put in a sticky position. I probably went a bit soon but I knew he wouldn’t stop,” said the talented young rider.
Leveraged Buyout was a $22,500 buy at the Inglis Online auction in late February, and has now won his present connections Leech, Brittain Racing and Gavin McMahon $312,905, the result of six wins and four seconds from just 17 starts. He also picked up a $50,000 Darwin Double bonus for taking out the Guineas and the Derby.
Maxxi Bon guaranteed himself a start in the $220,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup in 16 days’ time with a strong staying performance to win the BTC Constructions Buntine Handicap (2050m).
Prepared by Chris Nash for his father Andrew and Victorian trainer Gavin Bedggood, Maxxi Bon was given another copybook ride by NSW hoop Richard Bensley.
After beginning well enough, Bensley elected to position his mount midfield on the fence and he stayed there until approaching the home turn, at which point Tennessee Whiskey had the lead hotly pursued by King Akeed, Vanguard Legend and favourite Ichiban.
It took Bensley a little time to angle his mount into clear air early in the home straight but once he did, Maxxi Bon finished resolutely, gobbling up the leaders to go on and score impressively by a length and a-half from Unquestionably, who finished off well, with Vanguard Legend a game third ahead of Tennessee Whiskey and Ichiban.
A protest by the connections of the fifth horse Ichiban against fourth-placed Tennessee Whiskey was subsequently upheld, the stewards reversing the placings.
Maxxi Bon, a strapping chestnut son of Bon Aurum, had won on the opening day of the Carnival and Nash then set him for the Buntine over the Cup distance.
“He’s been working well and the trip is what he wants,” said Nash. “And once again, Richie gave him a beautiful ride,” he added.
Bensley and Nash have together won a race on each day of the Carnival to date, with Maxxi Bon (Days 1 and 4), Rematch (Day 2) and Anson Bay (Day 3) saluting for the combination.
The quality rider said: “We’d planned to ride him a bit for luck like we did on Day 1, but coming to the turn he was travelling that well that I thought we’d better get out into the clear.
“He went through his gears once in the open and was very strong through the line,” said Bensley.
Maxxi Bon is proving a great money-spinner for his connections, his latest win his seventh from some 43 starts, and with eight seconds and six thirds, he has stakes now of $268,110.
Balastier, with devastating speed from start to finish, demolished his rivals in the Aspire Weight-For-Age and in the process, obliterated the Darwin 1200m track record.
The attractive 4yo son of Brazen Beau and See Me Exceed, trained by Chloe Baxter and with Jason Lyon in the saddle, pinged out of the starting stalls, running the first 600m in a sizzling 32.70s.
He kept up the gallop in the second stanza of the race, clocking 34.09s for the last 600m to register an overall time of 1:06.79s, taking 0.3s off the record previously set by Canton Kid in 2023.
While his rivals tried gamely, they were simply chasing a memory, such was Balastier’s dominance. He reached the line some seven and three-quarter lengths to the good of Cinque Torri, with Boldinho a neck away third and just in front of Great Buy and Wallenda.
“Wow, he’s got some wheels,” enthused Lyon on weighing in. “And he seems to do it so easily – he’s a flying machine!”
Baxter will now obviously target the $150,000 bet365 Palmerston Sprint over the same distance in a fortnight’s time. His clash with the best sprinters, including Dakota Lee and Wild Beau as well as the stars he beat yesterday, will definitely be worth the price of admission.
Balastier embellished his already imposing record, his latest demolition job his seventh win at just his 13th start. His stakes now stand at $186,400, with the promise of much more to come.
Montjuic Magic, a $20,000 buy from the recent Alice Springs Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale, sat behind another graduate from the same sale, Auxiliary, and ran him down late in the Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale Handicap (1200m).
Giving Baxter and Jason Lyon the first of back-to-back wins, the daughter of Starspangledbanner began well but was headed easily by Auxiliary, who set up a decent advantage by the 700m mark.
Rounding the home turn, Auxiliary still held sway but Lyon sent his mount after the leader and Montjuic Magic collared him inside the final 50 yards to win by a length. Bon’s Pride came from towards the rear to take third almost five lengths back.
“We’ll go to the Magic Millions race on Cup Day now – I’m not sure if she’ll get 1300m but the way she did it today leads me to think she will,” said Baxter.
Montjuic Magic has won three of her 14 lifetime starts, and with a further seven placings, has now amassed just over $92,000 in stakes for her connections.
Fury (Gary Clarke/Jarrod Todd) got the day off to the best possible start with a dominant display in the Mindil Beach Casino Resort Handicap (1600m).
After beginning well, Fury was joined by The Albion with about 1250m to run but Fury kicked up to hold the inside running. Todd released the breaks at the 550m and rounding the home turn, the race was as good as over.
He dashed right away over the concluding stages, hitting the line eight and a-half lengths clear of The Accelator, with Villa Seventynine a long neck back third.
Fury, who had chased home stablemate Fields Of Courage at his previous start, has now won three of his 20 starts, and with a further eight placings, has stakes now of just over $110,000.
Todd was back in the winner’s circle for a second time when Runaway Tycoon, trained by Ella Clarke, justified his huge support with a clearcut win in the SIXT Car & Truck Rental Handicap (1100m).
After beginning on terms, Todd sent Runaway Tycoon to the front and he controlled proceedings approaching the home turn, pursued by Juice Box, Dad Bod and Cavendish.
Rounding the final turn, Todd asked his mount to extend and he so in the style of a highly-promising 4yo, dashing away to win by five lengths. Cavendish, who tracked up well coming to the turn, tried hard but was no match for the winner, with Bruno Bruno a solid third just a short neck back.
Runaway Tycoon, a son of Written Tycoon, would need to win the Flying Sprint next Saturday to guarantee himself a start in the Palmerston Sprint the following week. But Clarke was of a mind to wait for a day or two before making a definite decision on the way forward.
Runaway Tycoon has now won his last three in succession, and five in total, from 20 starts and took his stakes through the $100,000 barrier to $107,620 with his latest victory.
Stomp’Em gave Kym Healy and Jade Doyle their first winners of the 2026 Carnival when leading throughout in the De Silva Hebron Handicap (1300m).
Stomp’Em began well from barrier seven but was joined soon after by favourite Galaxy General and this pair went together to the home turn. Stomp’Em found a good kick early in the straight and bounded clear to win by four lengths from Rampazetto, who came from about fifth in the run, with Galaxy General a battling third two lengths back.
Healy, who has stables in South Australia and also Alice Springs, was the leading trainer at the Alice Cup Carnival and now that he has hit the target in Darwin, he could add to that tally in the next four meetings.
Stomp’Em, a 4yo son of Sir Prancealot, has now won twice from just eight starts, and with three seconds as well, looks a likely type going forward. His stakes now stand at $54,910.
Kalimna Views (Phil Cole/Jessica Booth) came from back in the field along the inner to score nicely in the Rhino Industrial Handicap (1300m).
After settling in the last three or four, Booth stayed towards the inside and saved every inch of ground with the speed on up front, set by I Loverain, Biden Time and Romantic Love.
Kalimna Views was angled around the heels of I Loverain with about 150m to run and finished too well for her rivals, beating the unlucky Itwasonlyakiss by a diminishing neck, with Biden Time sticking on to take third a half-length back. The runner-up had no room halfway down the straight but when clear, stormed home to be beaten narrowly.
A 4yo daughter of Delago Deluxe, Kalimna Views was a decent fourth in the Rosebowl on Day 2 of the Carnival, and was a deserving winner this time. She has now won three times from 18 starts for her owners.
Copycat (Leech/Hampson), after winning a trial at Fannie Bay just last Tuesday, brought that form to raceday with an all-the-way win in the SignCity Handicap (1100m).
The son of Street Boss began fast from barrier seven and was soon in front on the fence. Hampson judged the pace to a nicety and rounding the home turn, he had a break and was off and gone.
Although tiring late, he had enough in reserve to score by a length from If I Was You, with Dynamic Theory just a long head away third.
Copycat was a maiden prior to winning on Saturday, and the 3yo looks to have plenty of upside, with only five starts to date during a short career.
Story courtesy Andrew O’Toole