Surprise win in Bay sprint
TOP Darwin trainer Gary Clarke admits he wasn’t confident about The Captain’s chances in the race-two $20,500 Mantra Handicap (1300m) at Fannie Bay yesterday.
The six-year-old finished last in his last start – the $20,500 Ladbrokes Handicap (1100m) in Darwin on September 15.
The victor on that day was Craig Conron’s five-year-old I Am The Fox, who was the $2.70 favourite for this feature sprint.
But Clarke’s gelding was a convincing 6 ½ -length winner with stable jockey Brendon Davis aboard, stablemate Harmonium Bells (jockey Barry Huppatz) finishing second and I Am The Fox (Michelle Hagley) third.
“No (I wasn’t confident) because he was going into a very tough race with five horses who all had good chances,” Clarke said of The Captain, given odds of $3.80 to win.
“I bought this horse after the Carnival because I thought he would be a good wet-season horse.
“He suits our style up here – he’s a good jump-and-run horse and that was why we got him.”
Clarke’s five-year-old mare Let’s Celebrate was also a con- vincing winner in the racethree $17,500 bet365 Handicap (1300m), beating Tayarn Halter’s seven-year-old Larriconi (jockey Phillip Crich) by three lengths.
“She ran really well. Last start (winning the $17,500 Gardens Park Golf Links Handicap 1100m by 2½ lengths on September 15) putting blinkers on her did the trick,” Clarke said.
“So we kept them on her this time.”
Other winners yesterday were Rockatomic (trainer Garry Lefoe, jockey Paul Shiers), Melanion (Carl Spry, Paul Denton) and Desxiri (Clarke, Michelle Hagley).