Darwin races preview & betting tips | Palmerston Sprint Day 2023
| What | Darwin Cup Carnival – Day 7 |
| Where | Fannie Bay Racecourse – Dick Ward Dr, Fannie Bay NT 0820 |
| When | Saturday, August 5, 2023 |
| First Race | 1:02pm ACST |
The penultimate day of the Darwin Cup Carnival has arrived with the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) headlining proceedings this Saturday. A total of 74 runners had accepted for the seven-race program with a full field of 12 to contest the feature.
It hasn’t rained in Darwin since late April, but there’s a chance that could end on Friday. It will be mostly sunny on Saturday with 20-30km/h winds from the south-east easing in the afternoon with a top temperature of 33C. The rail will once again be in the true position and, as usual, Fannie Bay will provide a good dirt surface.
BEST BET: GLOBAL WONDER
Having been scratched on Wednesday, this guy is a big chance in the five-horse field. He’s been a model of consistency in six starts since March and was desperately unlucky last start over 1300m on July 22 after leading comfortably with 200m to go before going down narrowly to the fast-finishing Lady Tucan. The six-year-old gelding was victorious over 1100m in April before a third over 1100m behind Canton Kid in May and another third over 1300m behind New Roman in June. The son of Hinchinbrook has four wins, six second and six thirds in 27 starts at Fannie Bay. Global Wonder only has to repeat his last-start performance and he will be hard to stop.
Best Bet
Race 4 – 
#3 Global Wonder (5)
6yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Adam Nicholls (59kg)
NEXT BEST: CHANGE IS COMING
He disappointed as a $1.70 favourite last Saturday when finishing fourth in the $32,000 Flying Sprint (1100m), but there were excuses. The son of Capitalist was unsettled behind the barriers, and it was revealed after the race that he had an elevated heart rate. It’s perhaps wise to give the four-year-old gelding a second chance after he came within a whisker of breaking the track record for the 1000m when he stopped the clock at 56.17 en route to a 10-length win at 0-58 level in his Darwin debut on July 15. Change Is Coming takes on five rivals this weekend, and if he’s on his game, he should bounce back.
Next Best
Race 6 – #1 Change Is Coming (5)
4yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Jarrod Todd (60kg)
NEXT BEST AGAIN: LUCKY FORTUNA
Lucky Fortuna brought good SA form to the Top End and hasn’t disappointed in five Fannie Bay starts. The four-year-old mare has managed a first, a second, a third and a fourth, and wasn’t far away when sixth in the Rose Bowl (1300m) at 0-70 level for the fillies and mares on July 19. After a first-up fourth, the daughter of Smart Missile won over 1200m on June 24. A second over 1200m against the girls followed before the Rose Bowl. Lucky Fortuna is backing up from last Saturday when third over 1200m in her final race as a three-year-old. In eight SA starts, she has finished in the top five on seven occasions.
Next Best Again
Race 2 – 
#7 Lucky Fortuna (5)
4yo Mare | T: Heather Lehmann | J: Aaron Sweeney (57kg)
Saturday quaddie tips for Darwin races
Darwin quadrella selections
Saturday, August 5, 2023
- 3-5
- 1-2-3-4
- 1-3
- 2-3-4-5-10
Investment: $90 for 100%