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Live sport on SN this weekendAndrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Darwin (14/03)
Andrew O’Toole • March 13th, 2026 2:00 pm
Darwin’s feature off-season fixture, St Patrick’s Cup Day, takes place at Fannie Bay today and contrary to last week when there were just four races on the card, today’s meeting is much better, with six races and some 48 acceptors. Although there are three smaller fields, there are also three sizeable contests, including for the main race of the day, the $40,000 St Patrick’s Day Cup for the 0-76 gallopers over 1600m.
The St Pat’s Cup has attracted 11 acceptors, although Funnyifitwon is unlikely to get a start with no rider declared. It is a competitive line-up with plenty of depth, but the standout galloper is topweight Stormfront, who I believe can give trainer Gary Clarke his fifth win in the race and his fourth in the last seven years. The master conditioner knows how to set horses for feature events and although Stormfront’s preparation is perhaps not an ideal one, it would take a brave man to bet against the 13-time premiership winning trainer getting it right on the day.
Stormfront was a lower grade star of the Darwin Cup Carnival last year when, trained by Peter Robl on the Gold Coast, he won twice including the feature Dabble Cup (1300m) on Day 6 of the Carnival. He scored over this trip of 1600m in Benchmark 70 company on the first day (5 July) before failing when not getting all favours in the Palmerston Rydges Cup over the same distance 11 days later, before bouncing back to score a fortnight later.
He was then spelled and entered the Clarke stable late last year, before resuming with a second placing over 1100m behind Zourata on 14 February. He will have had a month between runs but looked ready for this assignment when trialling over 900m last Tuesday – Jarrod Todd, who takes the mount today, allowed him to stride on freely past the post for several hundred metres with the 1600m of this race in mind.
While he has a decent weight of 60kg, he has a nice gate of three to assist his chances and he should race handy to the pace as is his pattern. The 5yo grey son of Frosted certainly looks the testing material here.
Hardest for Stormfront to beat might be another grey, Rossanado, who is an up-and-coming daughter of Toronado trained by Paul Shiers. The 4yo has been in great form of late, having won three of her last four starts, the most recent by a narrow margin over Rhesus in a 1300m 0-64 event on 28 February. That was her second successive win, scoring also on 31 January over 1200m.
The question mark for Rossanado, who will be ridden as usual by Aaron Sweeney, would appear to be the trip of 1600m. She has had two starts at the distance and has failed to place on either occasion, but she gives the impression that she has strengthened appreciably as a 4yo and being from a Bel Esprit mare, she should handle the step up in distance. This will be her biggest assignment to date but her connections believe she is up to the task.
Maxxi Bon, trained by Chris Nash, is another with claims of success in the Cup. He flew home here a week ago over this distance to be beaten narrowly by Awash (a rival again) and has the services of NSW country rider Billy Cray, who rode the 6yo son of Bon Aurum on his first Darwin start on 14 February. He looks made for this trip and possibly further, and like Clarke, Nash is a multiple St Patrick’s Day Cup-winning trainer, having saddled up King Kev (2015) and Son Of Bielski two years ago for success in the feature. Maxxi Bon has won three times – most recently at Morphettville on 27 December – and been placed on a further four occasions over 1600m, and from a decent draw of six can hopefully race a little handier than he did last week, when he was tailed off in the mid-stages.
Awash has won two of his last four starts – his only wins in Darwin – but can never be left out of calculations. He is a grinding stayer who is suited at this distance and has the services of Alice Springs rider Danielle Hirini, who will be having her first ride on the son of Merchant Navy and her first ride in a St Patrick’s Day Cup. He has to be in your multiples.
The chances don’t end there, however, with last-start winner Vieri, also trained by Nash, a definite prospect, although the outside barrier draw won’t help. Dakota Gillett, who won on him last start on 28 February, could well go forward in an endeavour to take up a handy spot or even lead, but it will all depend on how he leaves the starting stalls.
Rock Revolution, who disappointed last week after winning over 1600m at his previous start on 31 January, looks likely to roll forward from gate four, and Jason Lyon will take the mount for Chloe Baxter. He will need to improve, however, to turn around an almost 12-length defeat when fourth behind Awash a week ago.
Lower-grade gallopers Hotim English and I’m A Dreamer, who have been racing consistently, could well make their presence felt with just 54kg to carry, and they add to what should be an intriguing contest.
The weather in Darwin this week has been mixed, with rain early in the week before a dry day on Wednesday and cloudy conditions since. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening. Light winds becoming north to northwesterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the afternoon. There is a 90% chance of 3-25mm of rain – let’s hope the forecasters are off the mark as they were for the last Darwin meeting held eight days ago in overcast but ultimately fine conditions!
The first race on the six-race feature card gets underway at 2.17pm (NT time), which is 4.47pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.25pm (NT time), or 6.55pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R2 # 1 BON’S PRIDEClass act of this small field and relishes this trip of 1300m, having won three times from nine attempts. Was far too good for three rivals over 1200m last time out on 28 February when accounting for Forms Of Fear by 2.5 lengths in a quick time. Vanessa Arnott, who has been the 6yo’s regular rider, goes back on here after Jarrod Todd did the steering last time. Has plenty of weight but should be too good for his four rivals.
R4 # 9 RISING WATERResumed from a spell here on 14 February and arguably should have won after effectively extinguishing his chances when bucking for a period soon after the start. That he was able to find his stride and rocket into second, beaten just a half-length by Buades, speaks volumes for his ability. He has trialled well since and draws a nice gate here over the 1100m, which should suit admirably at this stage of his preparation. Hard to beat.
R6 # 1 STORMFRONTQuality sprinter-miler having his second start from the stable of Gary Clarke. Returned from a break with a good second, although well beaten, behind Zourata over a too-short 1100m on 14 February, and trialled impressively in readiness for this assignment last Tuesday. Probably not the ideal prep for a 1600m feature but Clarke knows a thing or two about getting horses to peak for major targets, and he looks the one they all have to beat. Jarrod Todd takes the mount.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 2, 1, 5, 4RACE 2 – 1, 2, 3, 4RACE 3 – 4, 3, 2, 8RACE 4 – 9, 6, 1, 4RACE 5 – 5, 1, 2, 4RACE 6 – 1, 6, 5, 2
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