Pharoah Magic, aided by a copybook frontrunning ride by champion jockey Jarrod Todd, defied his rivals to run him down in the bet365 Handicap feature event at Fannie Bay on Friday.

Trained by 12-time premiership- winning trainer Gary Clarke, who was absent from the meeting, Pharoah Magic was urged forward to lead from his outside draw at the 1200m and once in front, Todd eased the speed and had La Boqueria and Seven Secrets for company turning off the back straight.

The trio came to the home turn almost on terms but Todd was able to get a slight advantage on Pharoah Magic and try as the other pair might, they could not reel him in, the margin at the line a half-length, with just a nose between Seven Secrets, who finished off well, took his earnings past $98,000 for his connections, headed by the trainers wife Sharlene.

A race earlier, Clarke and Todd combined for the first leg of a race to race double when American Jazz bounced back to winning form with a decisive victory in the Silks Darwin Christmas Mega raffle 18 December Handicap (1300m).

The 5YO son of American Pharoah, who looked so promising last season with four straight wins between August and December, had failed to live up to his promise in recent starts but this time he was his old self as he led on the fence in the hands of Todd, with Bryce, Prince Ruban and Rebellious Hope on his outer.

He got a little break on his rivals approaching the home turn and kicked clear on straightening to score by more than three lengths from Go Barny Go, who ran his usual honest race, with Prince Ruban a battling third.

“He was on his last chance today,” stable foreman Sharlene Clarke said.

“That was really good to see as we’ve always had a lot of time for him.”

Ella Clarke, daughter of Gary and Sharlene, was not to be outdone, sending out Wild Beau to break Patriotic King’s track record for 1100m in the TAB Same Race Multi Handicap.

Wild Beau, in the hands of Arron Sweeney, led for fun and had his opposition gasping approaching the final turn.

Let loose soon after by Sweeney, the 4yo son of Brazen Beau dashed well clear and was actually eased down to win by almost eight lengths in a time of 1min 01.60sec, taking 0.24sec off Patriotic King’s record which was set in September last year.

Incidentally, Clarke Senior trains Patriotic King!

Disco Donut and Forms Of Fear never stopped trying but they were chasing a memory in the home straight, separated by a length and a quarter for the minor prizes.

Wild Beau has won four of his 13 starts and his stake earnings stand at almost $79,000. He also picked up a further $5,000 for his connections, carrying off the Sportsbet Newcomers Bonus for horses who win three times in a calendar year and are owned 50 per cent in the NT.

Kiss Kiss Kiss showed plenty of tenacity in the hands of visiting apprentice Hannah Le Blanc to hold out Ease Offa in the ROANT TROBIS Maiden Plate (1000m).

After odds on shot Miss Moov was a late scratching after playing up at the barrier, Kiss Kiss Kiss led her rivals a merry chase and was able to repel Ease Offa, who tried hard, by a length-and-a-half, with Carat Time catching the eye dashing into third.

Kiss Kiss Kiss is owned and trained by Chris Pollard and the daughter of Rubick broke her maiden at the fourth time of asking.

Ny Kee (Phil Cole/Wanderson D’Avila) capped off good recent placed form with a tough effort to win the third heat of the Ladbrokes Wet Season Series (1000m).

After Lucky Dog led from the outset, Ny Kee was close enough to challenge with 200m to go and, after a decent battle over the final stages, got his rival’s measure to win by three-quarters-of-a-length, with Valaroc a long head back third.

Story Courtesy of Andrew O’Toole