Hall of Fame trainer Gary Clarke added yet another milestone to his illustrious collection when Field Of Flutes provided him with his 1,000th Darwin win in the Fast Track Fit-Out Handicap, feature event at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
In the hands of stable rider Jarrod Todd, Field Of Flutes sped straight to the front from the outset of the 1000m dash and defied his four rivals to run him down.
He found plenty when challenged by Zourata early in the home straight and reached the line two and a-quarter lengths to the good of that runner, with Rewards And More a length away third.
Clarke, who has been training in Darwin since 2000 and sent out his first Darwin winner, Scintilator, in October of that year, won his first trainer’s premiership in the 2012/13 season and remarkably has won each year since to give him 13 to date. He will bring up his 14th come the end of the current season on 31 July, and the three-time Darwin Cup-winning trainer shows no signs of slowing down.
Clarke said: “I knew we were getting close but didn’t really take much notice until a couple of weeks ago. Ironically, we hadn’t trained a winner at the last couple of meetings, so it’s nice to get the monkey off the back.
“It’s a team effort and I couldn’t do it without my wife and stable foreman Sharlene, my daughter Ella, and all our loyal staff and riders.”
Field Of Flutes, a 6yo son of Deep Field, has now won nine races from just 31 starts, and with nine placings as well, has stakes now of $272,631.
Clarke quickly made it win 1,001 when Fields Of Courage, in the hands of Jason Lyon, came from many lengths off the pace set by Tennessee Whiskey to get up close home to win by three-quarters of a length in the College Rd Handicap (1600m).
Tennessee Whiskey was a surprise leader when hot favourite Bollon handed up after he could not lead going into the back straight. Bollon proceeded to over-race and was a spent force before the home turn.
The leader first repelled the challenge of Beau Factor and looked set for victory until Fields Of Courage came from third but about five lengths off the lead, and between runners, to run clear over the concluding stages.
Fields Of Courage was deserving of a victory, having been twice second and once third at his previous three starts. He is now the winner of two races from just 13 starts, and there could be more in store for the 5yo son of super sire Savabeel, who passed away just last week.
Montjuic Magic, purchased by clients of trainer Chloe Baxter’s stable for $20,000 from the Magic Millions Alice Springs Tried Horse Sale on 1 May this year, became the first winner from the sale with a tough victory in the Hard Hat Handicap (1100m).
Giving Lyon, who was last year’s leading Darwin Carnival jockey, a double, Montjuic Magic jumped well and shared the lead with Luna Field on her outer and Dynamic Theory trailing.
There was plenty of pace on in the early and middle stages, but Montjuic Magic kept going in the gamest possible fashion to hold out Dynamic Theory, who never stopped trying, by a length and a-half, with Luna Field weakening slightly to take third three-quarters of a length back.
The 4yo daughter of Starspangledbanner from a Turffontein mare was having her first start in the Top End, and has now won twice and been placed on a further six occasions from just 12 career starts. With the $14,950 first prize for Saturday’s win, she is well on the way to recouping her purchase price for her syndicate of owners.
Hammurabi, if he hadn’t already, thrust himself into major contention for the $82,500 DCOH Darwin Guineas (1600m) in a fortnight with a hard-fought win in the Aspire Construction TROBIS 3yo Classic (1400m).
Trained by Tayarn Halter and with Raymond Vigar in the saddle, Hammurabi, who had broken his maiden duck at his first Darwin start a fortnight previously, began well and held the inside running with Pleasing Smile on his outer.
Rounding the home turn, the leading pair were joined by Laws Wars who improved his position wide, and after a stirring home straight battle, Hammurabi found enough in reserve to repel the major challenger by a half-length.
Merimbula finished on well along the inner to take third just a short neck back, with Grinzinger Tundra and the fast-finishing Leveraged Buyout next.
A strongly-built son of King’s Legacy, Hammurabi has taken to the Darwin surface with aplomb at his only two starts in the Top End, and with his latest win, took his stake earnings at his seventh start to $43,700.
Self Serve made it back-to-back wins in the Top End when leading throughout in the Vale Bob Merrall Handicap (1200m).
The Tommy Logan-trained 4yo, with Hannah Le Blanc in the saddle, began quickly and held the fence from the inside draw, although she soon after had company from Anson Bay and Private Tender out three-wide.
Rounding the home turn, Self Serve was joined by Anson Bay and the pair went at it for the length of the straight, with Self Serve showing admirable fighting qualities to score by three-quarters of a-length from a game Anson Bay, with Unquestionably finishing off well to take third a half-length back.
Self Serve has now won three of her 12 starts and should be seen to advantage over the coming weeks of the Darwin Cup Carnival. She gave Logan his 16th win of the season to consolidate third position in the Top End trainer’s premiership.
Shisuta Bo (Kym Healy/Ianish Luximon) never gave his rivals a look-in in the day’s opener, The Concrete Cup (1300m).
He bounded straight to the front and Luximon maintained a strong gallop to repel Awash, who was always close-up in the run, by two lengths, with King Akeed running on solidly into third a short neck back and just ahead of Hettinger and Rematch.
Healy, who already has a number of horses in Darwin for the Carnival but will arrive next week with additional troops, has always been a great supporter of the NT Carnivals and Shisuta Bo, now a seven-race winner, looks destined to figure again during the coming weeks.
The Albion, just touched off a week ago by Barocco Bar, gained a well-deserved win in the last on the card, the Happy Anniversary Gail Handicap (1600m).
Trained by Peter Stennett and with Paul Shiers again in the saddle, the 1600m specialist led into the back, was taken on by Collison and The Albion mid-stages, but surged late to hold He’s Maverick by a half-length, with Anphina again running on into third.
Story courtesy Andrew O’Toole