Race day 23rd February 2019

Posted by TRNT

Date posted: 23 Feb 2019

IT was a day of multiples at Fannie Bay yesterday, with two trebles, two doubles and a triple-figure success that had many wondering out loud if there had been a bigger-priced winner in recent memory in the Top End.

Gary Clarke, who is used to winning multiple races on many racedays, and Tayarn Halter, who was bagging a career-first Darwin hat-trick, shared the spoils on the six-race card. And Halter so very nearly had four, only to be denied with Hattan Man in the last event by Clarke’s Black Haze.

Halter saddled up Puzzled Princess, Bakslap and rank outsider Remodify to win races three, four and five, and was speechless after the latter, who paid $129 on the NT TAB and $190 on Super-TAB, saluted for Matt Hart.

“What just happened?” said an ecstatic Halter. “Don’t ask me, I can’t tell you! That was only Remodify’s second start for me so we’re still learning about her – I can’t believe it!” she said.

Formerly trained by Neil Dyer at Kyneton, Remodify had had 15 starts before finally getting the monkey off her back yesterday. She finished resolutely to beat Awesome Mo and Clarke’s Patriot Day by a long neck and more in the Asian United Food Service Maiden.

Puzzled Princess (Raymond Vigar) scored an impressive win the Signcity Handicap to kick-start Halter’s hat-trick, while Bakslap, aided by a lovely Vigar ride, got the chocolates in the Cancer Council NT Handicap, beating Commissar by a half-head in a great finish.

The Clarke juggernaut continued with a treble of its own, courtesy of Makin’ The Grade, Divine Red and Black Haze. The first pair were both sold at the Magic Millions Darwin Turf Club tried horse sale held at Carnival time last August.

Makin’ The Grade, sporting the colours made famous by Winx, went straight to the front from the outset of the Ladbrokes Handicap and was never headed. However, Lindwall made it a bit interesting over the concluding stages, going down by just half a length, with Rockmeartie third over two lengths away.

Winning jockey Kim Gladwin said: “I thought I’d get taken on a bit more in the early stages, but he got there easily and then just over-raced a bit. He was holding the other horse at the line and the St Pat’s Cup should be right up his alley.”

The $40,000 St Patrick’s Day Cup (1600m) is up for decision on 16 March and Makin’ The Grade is now exempt from the ballot.

Divine Red (Carl Spry), shared the lead in the Gardens Park Golf Links Handicap and put a couple of lengths on his rivals turning for home. He was never in any danger of defeat and hit the line a length and three-quarters to the good of Delta D’Or, who finished off well, with Culzean third.

The 4yo son of Burgundy, purchased by DTC Committeeman Jon Bourke at the tried horse sale, has now won three of his six Top End starts.

And Black Haze, who broke through for his first win from nine starts at the previous Darwin meeting on 13 February, went back-to-back to give Gladwin a double in the Ten Darwin Handicap, scoring by a length and three-quarters from a game Hattan Man and Bon Aire.

Race 1 Makin The Grade.1 Race 1 Makin The Grade.2 Makin The Grade.3 Race 1