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Sport Nation
Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best bets at Darwin (12/07)
Andrew O’Toole • July 12th, 2025 12:30 pm
After a tremendous Day 1 of the 2025 Great Northern Cup Carnival a week ago, Day 2 will be no less intriguing, with seven competitive fields highlighted by the last of the day, the $60,000 Asian United Food Service Chief Minister’s Cup, traditionally the best lead-up to the Darwin Cup in just 23 days’ time. The 1600m feature has produced many Cup winners, the likes of Lanson, Nozi, Shout Out Loud, the incomparable Hawks Bay, Lightinthenite, Royal Request and Zahspeed, and in the last four years, both Highly Decorated and Playoffs won the Day 2 feature before going on to Darwin Cup success on the first Monday in August.
A top quality field has been assembled for this year’s renewal, with 11 horses accepting to take their place in the weight-for-age mile contest. And what a contest it promises to be, with last year’s winner Bear Story, Alice Springs Cup winner Hasseltoff, last year’s Darwin Cup winner Hadouken, runner-up Wolfburn and perhaps the star of them all this year, Cinque Torri, and it is the latter that I think will continue on his winning way.
Cinque Torri, formerly trained in Sydney by Bjorn Baker, has found his way to the Top End and young trainer Ella Clarke’s stable. He has not disappointed since, winning a trial before two hugely impressive victories, the first over 1200m on 14 June and then last start, a fortnight ago, he decimated the 15-year 1300m track record when winning the first division of the ROANT Gold Cup. He led on both occasions and found a massive kick early in the home straight to demoralise his opposition, with seemingly something left in the tank in both races.
He steps up to 1600m this time, a trip he has won at twice and been placed four times from 14 starts, and judged on his form since coming to Darwin, he looks likely to keep his unbeaten record going. He has drawn the inside gate, which will allow his rider Adam “Chippy” Nicholls to either lead or take up a handy, trailing spot depending on how his mount jumps and musters in the first 200m. He has shown plenty of speed so this is something of a test for him, stretching out in trip, but the 6yo son of I Am Invincible has yet to show he has any chinks in his armour.
Wolfburn, trained by Ella’s 12-time (soon to be 13) trainer’s premiership champion Gary, chased home Bear Story in this race last year before winning the Metric Mile and failing narrowly to overhaul Hadouken in the Darwin Cup. He has had two starts back in Darwin this year, finishing at the tail after a torrid run over 1200m on 14 June, and then filled fourth berth after working hard and being attacked by eventual winner Great Buy in the second division of the ROANT Cup. He looks as though both races will have benefited him fitness-wise, and I expect an improved showing from the classy son of Snitzel, who has won four times at this trip from 10 attempts. Jarrod Todd, who knows him so well, has the steer and from barrier three, he will be right there when the pressure is brought to bear.
Hasseltoff is the mystery horse in the field, not for his undoubted ability and picket-fence winning formline, but for the fact that he has not had a start since winning the Alice Springs Cup on 6 April. Dick Leech’s 8yo failed to go into the gates in a trial in Darwin a handful of weeks ago, had to trial to satisfy the stewards and then missed a start in the ROANT Cup due to a leg issue. He has drawn awkwardly in barrier ten and will surely need the run, but he is a class act as he showed with four unbeaten runs in the Red Centre, and the fact that he is the only horse that has a chance to lift the $100,000 Territory Treble for winning the Alice, Chief Minister’s and Darwin Cup in the same year, a bold showing would not surprise and in fact should be expected.
Picaroon, a newcomer to the Kerry Petrick stable, impressed when chasing home Cinque Torri when fourth in the ROANT Cup, albeit beaten over seven lengths. However, the Colac Cup winner back in February had not had a start for close on four months and the daughter of Fiorente, a three-time winner at 1600m, can improve further. Paul Denton takes the mount.
Bear Story has had just the one raceday outing since finishing third in the Darwin Cup last year, and that produced a 9th placing, beaten 11.5 lengths, behind Cinque Torri in his record ROANT run. The 1600m will be a far better trip for him than the 1300m, and it is hard not to recall his dominant display in this race last year when ridden by Noel Callow. Neil Dyer knows a thing or two about winning this race – he has won it three times with Hawks Bay, Royal Request and this fellow – and Bear Story, with Raymond Vigar in the saddle, could well be the big improver here.
Great Buy did a tremendous job to win his division of the ROANT Gold Cup and must always be considered, although he has yet to win at 1600m from six attempts. Hadouken, like Bear Story, is another that could improve quickly – his last-start effort behind Great Buy, when he resented the kickback and finished at the tail, was too bad to be true but he has pulled up fine and with Paul Shiers aboard, look to him to produce a vastly improved performance. Prince Jofra was doing his best work late in the ROANT behind Great Buy and is another with a hope, while the Clarke snr pair of Flash Flood and newcomer Hennessy Lad have claims on their best form. And even old-timer Supreme Attraction could show up if everything falls into place.
It promises to be a fantastic Chief Minister’s Cup, and the Darwin Cup picture will become a lot clearer once the dust settles on the day.
The weather in the Top End this week has again been beautifully fine dry season conditions, with lovely fine days and cooler mornings. The official forecast for today reads: Mostly sunny. Winds south easterly 20 to 30 km/h tending easterly 15 to 25 km/h during the day then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach a warm 32 degrees during the day, and 20 overnight, while there is just a 5% chance of any rainfall.
The first race on the seven-race card gets underway at 1.37pm (NT time), which is 2.07pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.14pm (NT time), or 5.44pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 4 VILLA SEVENTNINEHas done little wrong in four Top End starts, with a win and two placings, plus a last-start fifth behind Limited Risk here a fortnight ago. Drew badly that day and has another tricky draw here, although the extra 100m will suit better. Paul Shiers goes aboard this time for trainer Chris Pollard, and the son of Bon Aurum looks a top chance to return to the winner’s list in the opener.
R3 # 2 BON’S YOUR BACKChased home Cinque Torri in track record time for 1300m here in the first edition of the ROANT Cup a fortnight ago, and never stopped trying. Also filled the same placing behind the same horse at his previous start. This is no harder and gets the 3kg claim from Jessica Booth to aid his chances. Should be able to secure a decent run in transit, and some of his well-performed rivals have drawn wide gates. Can give Pollard a double on the day.
R7 # 2 CINQUE TORRIHas not put a foot wrong since coming to Darwin, with a trial win and two first-class raceday victories, the most recent in the first division of the ROANT Cup when he smashed a long-standing track record for the 1300m. Steps up to 1600m here and has drawn the ace, which is a big advantage over this trip. Adam Nicholls not surprisingly retains the mount for Ella Clarke, and he looks the testing material in the day’s feature.
SELECTIONS
FANNIE BAY RACECOURSE (DARWIN) – GOODRACE 1 – 4, 2, 7, 6RACE 2 – 3, 4, 5, 9RACE 3 – 2, 10, 3, 5RACE 4 – 3, 1, 5, 6RACE 5 – 1, 2, 3, 6RACE 6 – 5, 4, 1, 6RACE 7 – 2, 10, 6, 11
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