Wild Beau, as expected, proved too quick for his rivals in the National Seniors Top End Branch/Melanie Tyndall Memorial, feature event at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
The Ella Clarke-trained speedster, a tremendous third in the Palmerston Sprint on 1 August behind Boldinho and Early Crow, looked the hardest to beat on paper and so it proved, with Jess Booth completing a double for the day aboard the son of Brazen Beau.
After drawing the outside gate in the Palmerston, Wild Beau had a far better barrier this time in six, and after a brief battle out of the gate, crossed to the fence by the 650m mark after burning off his rivals.
Booth was able to allow her mount an easy sectional from the 600m to the 400m, at which point Rising Sphere, Flying Annie and Shirshov all closed to be on the leader’s heels.
But once in the straight, Booth released the brakes and Wild Beau bounded clear and was untroubled to score by almost four lengths from a game Rising Sphere, with Flying Annie three-quarters of a length away and just in front of Shirshov and newcomer Lim’s Bighorn.
Booth was afterwards presented with a trophy in honour of being the winning rider of the Melanie Tyndall Memorial. Tyndall, of course, lost her life in a racefall at Fannie Bay just under seven years previously.
Wild Beau has been a tremendous money-spinner for his connections Jay Abela, DTC Committeeman Anthony Clarke, Barbara Kingsley and Betty Clarke, his latest win, his 10th from just 23 starts, taking his stakes through the $200,000 barrier to $201,919.
The well-known Wylie Dalziel colours were to the fore in the SBA Office National Handicap, with Patriotic King, sporting a black cap, leading throughout to beat stablemate Mr Marrakech, carrying the same colours, in the 1100m dash.
The quinella was sent out by 14-time leading trainer Gary Clarke, with Booth, picking up the first leg of her double, aboard Patriotic King and Jarrod Todd teaming with Mr Marrakech. The pair dominated the race from the outset, with Time To Baca and favourite If I Was You, struggling to keep up in the early and middle stages.
Patriotic King, who was having just his second start this campaign, kept going gamely in the straight to hold his stablemate by two lengths, with the same margin back to a hard-finishing If I Was You, who looked like he would appreciate a longer trip.
Patriotic King, now an 8yo son of Starspangledancer, was winning his ninth race at the 43rd time of asking, and with five seconds and seven thirds, took his stake earnings to just over $173,000.
Incidentally, the same colours carried by Patriotic King and Mr Marrakech were to the fore earlier in the day at Wangaratta when Honour The Bassett scored in the third event on the card in the hands of Darwin Cup-winning jockey Zac Spain.
Sass continued a good weekend for Scone-based rider Billy Cray with a hard-fought win in the Bendigo Bank Coolalinga TROBIS Handicap (1300m).
Trained by Chloe Baxter, who enjoyed another good Darwin Cup Carnival, Sass was booted out from the inside gate to share the lead with Tee Galleria, and the pair went together to the home turn, where it looked as though the latter had his rival’s measure.
But Sass refused to yield and under the significant urgings of Cray, repelled Tee Galleria by a half-length, with Funnyifitwon a decent third a length away.
Cray, who has ridden at a number of Top End meetings in the last seven months, had his first day’s riding at Alice Springs on Friday and picked up the first two events on the card, including the feature Ladbrokes Winter Series Final aboard Brat.
Sass has now won twice from 16 starts, and with seven placings as well, took her stake earnings to $62,350.
After going down fighting with Tee Galleria in the day’s opener, the trainer/rider combination of Paul Shiers and Deborah Barton bounced back to win the second, the Advance Civil Engineering/Ruth Gaden 50+5 Handicap (1200m) courtesy of I Loverain.
The grey son of Ilovethiscity sat on the outer of Debating in the run and looked destined to finish second until Barton conjured a late challenge to prevail by a neck. Press Express stormed home to grab second, just a head in advance of Debating.
I Loverain has been a model of consistency for the Shiers stable, and provided the trainer with a pick-me-up, having injured a foot a week or so ago when one of his charges jumped on it. Thankfully, he suffered no breaks and will be back in the saddle in a handful of weeks.
I Loverain has now won four races for his owners, headed by trainer’s wife Leola, and took his stake earnings beyond $100,000 with his latest success.
Barton doubled up later in the day aboard Tears Are Flowing in the Tschirpig Conveyancing Handicap (1000m), but was no doubt aided by a wayward stablemate Order Online.
Order Online bounced fast to lead, while Tears Are Flowing settled back on the fence after a less than clean getaway. But at the turn off the back with 600m to run, Order Online begun to hang off the fence and was very awkward from there until approaching the home turn.
Tears Are Flowing meanwhile stayed on the inner and receive a saloon passage to stride to the front at Silks Corner, with Order Online’s rider Jarrod Todd having a devil of a job keeping his mount on an even keel.
Tears Are Flowing kept on keeping on and although Order Online came again late, he continued to be wayward and had to be content with second, a length behind his Clarke Racing stablemate. Sassy Abbey battled on to take third.
Tears Are Flowing had only had one start in Darwin prior to Saturday, and that was way back on 31 January. The 5yo bay mare by Epaulette has had just five career outings for two wins and a third, and has stakes now of just short of $38,000.
Story Courtesy Andrew O’Toole