THE CAPTAIN CLAIMS 20TH CAREER WIN
TWO-TIME reigning Top End Horse of the Year The Captain picked up his 20th career win from 61 starts with a dominant performance in the Darwin Racing Weight-ForAge (1100m) at Fannie Bay yesterday.
The eight-year-old chestnut son of Captain Gerrard, expertly prepared by Gary Clarke, bounced straight to the front in the hands of
Jarrod Todd and never gave his four rivals a look-in.
When Todd sent him for home at the 300m mark, the crowd were on their feet cheering one of the best Top End sprinters of recent years. He reached the line more than five lengths clear of Eastwood, with Divine Red a gallant third. “He’s just a marvel,” said Clarke. “He loves being in work and loves racing – he’s showing no signs of having had enough.”
Clarke indicated the $25,000 WFA 1300m on March 13 would almost certainly be on The Captain’s agenda. “I might give him one before that,” he said.
Manly Cove (Clarke/Todd) made it three-from-three in the Top End when cruising to a three-plus-length win in the Happy New Year Handicap.
Urged straight to the front, the $1.26 favourite had his rivals gasping, with Twilight Maneuver the best of the rest ahead of Eokalio. Defence Attorney, who returned to the winner’s circle at the last Darwin meeting of 2020, was at it again at the first 2021 fixture with an impressive display in the Ladbrokes Handicap.
Trained by Tayarn Halter and with Vanessa Arnott in the saddle, Defence Attorney jumped well, and sat outside leader A Roman Road before dashing away in the straight to win by six lengths.