Lumber Punk, runner-up in last year’s bet365 Palmerston Sprint, showed he would be a force to be reckoned with again in the NT’s biggest short-course event on 2 August when storming home to win the Aspire Weight-For-Age (1200m) at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
One of three in the event trained by Gary Clarke, Lumber Punk, who finished second in the same event 12 months ago, began better than he has lately in the hands of Jarrod Todd, but still settled at the rear as the pace was set by Ideas Man and Flying Annie.
Lumber Punk was still at the rear passing the 450m but on the point of the home turn, instead of making his run around the field, Jarrod Todd elected to angle back towards the inside to issue his challenge.
Ideas Man had got the better of Flying Annie but was soon after challenged by Rising Sphere in the middle of the track and Lumber Punk along the inner, with the latter getting the upper hand over the final 100m to score an emphatic length and a-quarter victory.
Rising Sphere, who trailed the leaders throughout, fought on solidly to take second, with Ideas Man a good third just over two lengths away and just in front of two-time Palmerston winner Early Crow, who made up ground late.
“Pleased with that,” said Clarke, who has no less than five Palmerston crowns to his credit to date. “He has to get away better from the start, and he did today, but his pattern is to get back and finish off, so we always need a bit of luck. But he’s on target,” he said.
Lumber Punk, raced by a syndicate headed by long-time Clarke stable supporter Josh McShanag, is now the winner of nine of his 43 starts, and with nine placings as well, took his stake earnings to almost $311,000.
Clarke doubled up in the fifth of the day, the Sitzler Sprint (1100m), when Pharoah Magic (Adam Nicholls) led throughout and ran his rivals ragged to win by four and a-half lengths.
Nicholls sent his mount straight to the front from the outset and he had the field strung out behind him and struggling as he rounded the home turn. He dashed well clear and was eased down for an impressive victory, with Crazy Brave and Down The Wicket his closest pursuers.
Formerly trained by Anthony Cummings, the son of American Pharoah has now won five of his 11 Top End starts, and with four placings as well, has been a model of consistency.
Eddy Street came from last on the home turn to sweep down the outside for an emphatic win in the Mindil Beach Casino Resort Handicap (1600m).
Ridden by Vanessa Arnott, whose day was to only get better, and giving trainer Jason Manning his first win for the 2025 Carnival, Eddy Street was allowed to find his feet early, and was still at the tail as tearaway leader Hallowed Ground rounded the home turn.
There were plenty of chances at the 200m and Equal Balance looked one of the leading lights, but over the final stages Eddy Street’s finish was irresistible, getting up in the shadows of the post to score by a half-neck from a game Equal Balance, with Faberge Tzar a length and a-half back third.
The 5yo son of Epaulette was having his third start in the Top End for a large syndicate of owners, and he has now won five of his 22 starts for stakes of just over $114,000. He could well start next on Great Northern Darwin Cup Day in the 0-70 2050m event.
Kessler provided Arnott with an early race-to-race double when repelling the significant challenge of hot favourite Lochlorian in the SIXT Car and Truck Rental NT Handicap (1300m).
Prepared by co-owner Angela Forster, Kessler, who had won at his previous start over this trip on day 1 of the Carnival, went straight to the front again, had Lochlorian for company rounding the home turn and found the best kick in the straight to clear away to win by three lengths. Real Divine made ground into third a length back.
The 5yo chestnut son of Good Journey is raced by Forster and her partner Darren Waterfall, and has now won five of his 27 starts for stakes exceeding $108,000.
Arnott, who had just three rides on the card, made it a memorable Derby Day hat-trick, and gave Manning a double, when Bon’s Pride sat last in the five-horse Magic Millions Tried Horse Sale Handicap (1200m) and finished too well for his four rivals.
Stablemates Hellivit, Throw At Da Stumps and hot favourite Bahama Bay vied for the lead from the outset, with the last-named three wide the trip. Tellez was next in the running with Bon’s Pride watching it all unfold from last in the run.
Arnott waited until a gap presented itself one-off the fence soon after straightening for the run home and Bon’s Pride dashed through, holding out Tellez by a half-length, with Throw At Da Stumps a length and a-half back third. The favourite, after a torrid run, finished last of the five.
“Bring on these sales races, we love ‘em,” said an ecstatic Manning afterwards, referring to the fact that Bon’s Pride had also won the previous Magic Millions NT Sales-only race on Darwin Cup Day last year. And that will be his next target, the $50,000 1300m event on 4 August now well within his sights yet again.
The son of Bon Aurum has been a superb money-spinner for his connections, winning $152,210 since being purchased by On Fire Racing for just $22,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Darwin Tried Horse Sale.
Story Courtesy Andrew O’Toole