Flying Annie continued her rich vein of form since returning from the Alice Springs Cup Carnival with another impressive win in the Northcrest Open Sprint at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
The 6yo daughter of Flying Artie, trained by Gary Clarke and with Aaron Sweeney in the saddle, began like a rocket from the 1100m start and set the pace, pursued by stablemate Rising Sphere.
The Clarke pair came to the Silks Corner together, but soon after Flying Annie let down stylishly and with 4kg less than her stablemate, who never stopped trying, went on to score by a length and a-half. Rising Sphere was brave in second, and he had a length and a-quarter to spare over the eye-catching two-time Palmerston winner Early Crow, who hit the line with gusto from last on the corner.
Field Of Flutes, the third of the Clarke-trained runners in the event, was slow into stride, raced ungenerously for Jarrod Todd and was a major disappointment, tailing the field home.
Flying Annie, raced by a syndicate including trainer’s wife Sharlene, has now amassed over $200,000 in stakes, the result of eight wins, eight seconds and six third placings from 30 starts. In the form she is now, a tilt at the $135,000 bet365 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) on 2 August must surely be on her agenda.
Victorian apprentice Jessica Booth began her three-month loan period with Darwin trainer Tayarn Halter by guiding Alice Springs galloper Iknowhatyouredoing to a heart-stopping victory in the DCOH Mile (1600m).
As is his habit, the 5yo son of Husson got way out of his ground early, and was still giving the leaders more than a dozen lengths as the field swung for home. But Booth angled her mount out very wide, and Iknowhatyouredoing descended to gather up his rivals and score by a length from Unquestionably, who looked the winner at the 50m mark. Desert Mist was close up third.
Trained by Kevin Lamprecht for his wife Robyn and long-time friend and stable stalwart Greg Aldam, Iknowhatyouredoing has now won five of his 24 starts, and with 10 placings as well, took his stake earnings to just short of $130,000.
A tilt at the $50,000 Buntine Handicap (2050m) on Derby Day, which affords the winner ballot exemption into the Great Northern Darwin Cup, now looks to be on the cards in a fortnight.
Another who could be headed in the same direction is Stormfront, who stepped up to 1600m and proved far too strong for his five rivals in the Solis Real Estate Handicap (1600m)
Trained by Peter Robl at the Gold Coast and ridden by Coast-based former Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson, Stormfront trailed the leaders early, was right behind Pink Panther on the point of the home turn and soon after took control.
The attractive grey son of Frosted came clear over the concluding stages to win by two and a-half lengths, with almost ten lengths back to the third horse Saccharo.
Stormfront, formerly trained in Melbourne by Clinton McDonald, has now won four of his 11 starts, and another win or two during the Carnival would come as no surprise.
Tannenburg, in the well-known lilac and red colours of G and C Pastoral Co Pty Ltd, managed by Viv Oldfield, finished strongly along the inner from last at the 400m mark to score in a competitive Textum Roofing Handicap (1300m).
Giving Clarke his first winner of the day and given a patient ride by Adam Nicholls, Tannenburg settled at the rear before securing a lovely run through between runners soon after rounding the home turn.
He only went around one horse – Shakattak – and bounded clear over the last 100m to win impressively by a length and a-quarter from Atlantic Ocean, with the deadheaters He’s The Ultimate, who also ran on well, and Super Famous a neck away.
The Oldfield colours were in the winner’s stall again later in the day when Hello World, at his first Top End start since being transferred to trainer Chris Nash from the Clarken/O’Shea establishment in Adelaide, just got the measure of Pharoah Magic in the DCOH Handicap (1100m).
Giving Sonja Logan the second of her two wins on the day, Hello World settled back in the field and still had plenty of horseflesh in front of him rounding the final corner. But Logan got a nice run through and although the margin at the line was just a half-head, he always looked likely to get up.
Pharoah Magic, in his first race since late January, was brave in defeat, with Crazy Brave also putting in a top effort to take third a half-length back.
Hello World, a son of Written Tycoon and the Sebring mare Australia Day, has now won four of his 13 starts, and Nash indicated that the 4yo would target either the weight-for-age 1200m on Derby Day of the Flying Sprint on Metric Mile Day in the hope of gaining a start in the Palmerston Sprint. The winner of both races is exempt from the Palmerston ballot.
Kessler (Angela Forster/Vanessa Arnott) gave his rivals a galloping lesson in the Novotel Darwin Handicap (1300m).
The 5yo son of Good Journey, raced by his trainer and partner Darren Waterfall, began well, held out Astern Magic for the lead and had that runner, and all the others, struggling rounding the final turn. He kept increasing his lead and had a margin of seven lengths at the finish.
Dummy Spit fought on well to take second, with Beatification just over a length back third.
Former Victorian mare Juice Box, who only arrived in the Top End a week or so ago, made an immediate impression with a tough win in the Courtyard by Marriott Fillies and Mares Handicap (1200m).
Trained by Tommy Logan and ridden by his wife Sonja, Juice Box began well, sat at the girth of Tilussion to the home turn and after running a little wide around the final bend, finished doggedly to down Rebellious Hope by a length and a-quarter, with Tilussion holding third a half-length away.
Story Courtesy Andrew O’Toole