Pharoah Magic entered the conversation for the $135,000 bet365 Palmerston Sprint next Saturday when he led throughout in the Silk Laser Clinics Flying Sprint at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
Trained by Gary Clarke and with Jarrod Todd in the saddle, Pharoah Magic began well from a wide gate, assumed control before the first turn and then held on gamely to repel Vinnie’s Spirit and Hello World in a busy finish to the 1100m.
The 5yo bay gelding by American Pharoah has been in superb form since resuming from a spell, winning twice and being placed second first-up and only narrowly beaten behind Hello World.
“He’s going better than ever, he’s fit and he’ll give a sight next week,” said Clarke of Pharoah Magic. “He’ll drop in weight and they’ll certainly know he’s there,” he added.
Pharaoah Magic has now had 18 starts for seven wins, three seconds and a third, and his stakes stand at just short of $145,000.
While Pharoah Magic was impressive, Wild Beau, trained by Clarke’s daughter Ella, was sensational when accounting for seven rivals in the Mittys Handicap (1000m).
Ridden by apprentice Jess Booth, Wild Beau began like a shot from the inside gate, controlled the pace and when let down early in the home straight, the son of Brazen Beau bounded away to win by almost six lengths in a slick time of 56.04sec, just .08sec outside Rising Sphere’s track record.
The $35,000 Montgomerie Lightning Plate (1000m) on Great Northern Darwin Cup day now beckons the 4yo, who is proving a great money-spinner for his connections Jay Abela, Barbara Kingsley, Anthony Clarke and the trainer’s grandmother Betty Clarke. He has won six of his 16 starts for stakes of $109,240.
In a near carbon copy of his previous win against heis own age group on Day 2 of the Carnival, Miami Baby again came from the clouds to score a memorable victory in the TAB We’re On TROBIS 3yo Handicap (1200m).
Continuing the tremendous run of Carnival success being experienced by her trainer Chloe Baxter – she has now saddled up no less than six winners on the first five days – Miami Baby, with Derby-winning jockey Jason Lyon in the saddle, settled last after another tardy getaway.
He was still at the rear, along with the favourite Rossanado, with 500m to run but somehow found clear running down the outside to descend over the last 50m and down a game Rossanado by a neck, with pacemaker All Inclusive going a better race to take third a length and a-half back.
The son of Night Of Thunder has now won two of his four Fannie Bay starts, and with an earlier success at Tuncurry, his stakes tally is now $76,049.
Villa Seventynine, a little below his best at his two most recent outings, bounced back with a late-closing win in the Silks Darwin Handicap (1600m).
Trained by Chris Pollard and with Hannah Le Blanc in the saddle, Villa Seventynine trailed three back along the inner as The Final Word cut out the pace.
Le Blanc improved her position approaching the home turn and with about 300m to run, had just The Final Word and Seguso ahead of her. She angled off the fence with 200m to go and once balanced, Villa Seventynine extended late to get up in the last couple of strides to score by a short head from a game Seguso, with The Final Word a gallant third.
Villa Seventynine was his trainer’s first winner of the Carnival, as it was for Le Blanc, and the 5yo son of Bon Aurum has now won twice from six starts in the Top End.
Predicting (Tayarn Halter/Raymond Vigar) made up for a luckless first-up run on the course when dominating the Darwin Racing Maiden (1100m).
At his first start in the Top End, the 3yo son of Shalaa drew wide and was trapped off the course throughout before weakening to finish at the rear.
But this time, from a middle barrier, he began well, led on the outer of Cassette before assuming control before the home turn.
He produced a good kick and won cosily by almost two lengths from perennial placegetter Thank God I Gothim, with Cee Pee One, who did plenty wrong during the run, hitting the line solidly to take third.
Dummy Spit (Andrew Perdon/Sonja Logan), after three successive second placings, broke through for a well-deserved win in the TRNT Off The Track Handicap (1200m).
After beginning well, Logan had her mount outside the leader Exceedingly Magic and took over in front early in the home straight. Starton, who shared the lead, albeit three-wide, issued a likely looking challenge, but Dummy Spit kept finding and reached the line a length to the good of the fast-finishing Rising Fire, with Starton a half-neck back third.
Dummy Spit had been second no less than seven times in Darwin prior to Saturday, and his latest win, his second in the Top End, took his record to four wins from 33 starts for stakes of $128,800.
Story Courtesy Andrew O’Toole