Tennant Creek race day wrap up

IT was “Ladies’ Day” at the Tennant Turf Club’s annual “Two Cup” Raceday last Saturday, with no less than five of the six winners being prepared by female trainers.

The day’s feature, the $25,000 Carlton Mid Tennant Creek Cup, was won for the second successive year by the Angela Forster-trained Lotion, who prevailed in a driving finish by a head margin from the fast-finishing Wicked Promise.

Leading Darwin jockey Brendon Davis, who partnered the 7yo son of Good Journey to victory in the event 12 months previously, again teamed up with Lotion, who travelled wide throughout the 1600m contest after jumping from the outside gate in the nine-horse field.

The in-form gelding hit the front on straightening for the long run home but kept going bravely under Davis’ urgings to repel the challenge of Wicked Promise (Jarrod Todd), with Mt Isa visitor Loud Enough (Tim Brummell a length and three-quarters away third.

Lotion, owned by his trainer’s partner, Dave “Crash” Cundy, had won at his previous start on Alice Springs Cup Day and was highly favoured to go back-to-back in the Cup, being the only runner in the event who had previously raced on the course.

He is putting together a fine record, his latest win his ninth from some 66 starts, and with eight seconds and 11 third placings as well, he has stake earnings now in excess of $293,000.

Lotion will now target the $200,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup (2000m) to be held on the first Monday in August. His astute Darwin trainer will no doubt map out a Darwin Carnival lead-up programme in the hope of gaining a start in the big one on 5 August.

Forster had a day to remember in the Barkly, also saddling up Isle of Light (Davis) to win the Devils Marbles Hotel Handicap.

Isle of Light always had his rivals under pressure, and bolted clear over the final stages to win by almost seven lengths from Exonerate, with Bianconi’s Son battling into third a length away.

The day’s other feature, the Denis Staunton Memorial Cup, provided a grandstand finish, with the Sheila Arnold-trained Quantum Dot, ridden by apprentice Dan Morgan, just getting the better of Forster’s Federal Court by a short half-head. The first pair had the finish to themselves, Coldrock taking third almost six lengths back.

Quantum Dot raced back in the field but hit the line strongly, getting up in the last bound to deny Forster a treble. His time for the 1200m, 1:09.14, was a track record for the distance, eclipsing Twice Born’s previous record of 1:10.06 set back in 2013.

Experienced Darwin conditioner Kerry Petrick started four horses at Tennant Creek, and kicked the day off on the right note when Knight’s Helmet (Wayne Davis) saluted in the Marlow Canete and Associates Class 2 Handicap.

Knight’s Helmet, a previous start winner in Alice Springs on 4 May, made it two on end with a narrow win over Baggins and Remodify after racing handily throughout.

Razor Time, trained in Alice Springs by Leanne Gillett, led throughout in the hands of Raymond Vigar to win the Barkly Plumbing Services Handicap.

The 5yo son of Time Thief never gave his opposition a look-in, scoring impressively by just over two lengths from Viotti, with Wawrinka doing his best work over the concluding stages to take third.

The only male trainer to have success on the day was Paul Gardner. The Alice Springs-based trainer saddled up newcomer Hurry Home Harry to score in the Remote Concrete NT Maiden Plate, just holding off the late challenge of Betley by a nose, with Kummerlings close up in third.

Forster and Davis, not surprisingly, carried off the leading trainer and jockey prizes respectively on what was a superb day of racing at the annual meeting.

President Mike Nash and his team of willing helpers are to be congratulated for their efforts in having the course in pristine condition for the day’s racing – the comments were nothing but positive from all participants who supported the raceday and who, no doubt, will be back next year.