Darwin Saturday races preview & quaddie | June 29, 2024
| What | Darwin Races |
| Where | Fannie Bay Racecourse – Dick Ward Dr, Fannie Bay NT 0820 |
| When | Saturday, June 29, 2024 |
| First Race | 1:07pm ACST |
For the Darwin Turf Club, it’s “Day Zero”, the final race meeting in the Top End before the start of the 2024 Cup Carnival next weekend and it comes as no surprise that 86 horses have accepted for the eight-race program. The feature is the $30,000 ROANT Gold Cup (1300m), which is a tremendous guide looking ahead to the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 5, and it has attracted a super field with a host of horses eyeing the NT’s biggest race greeting the starter. The Fannie Bay rail will be in its true position, and it will once again be a good dirt surface.
BEST BET: Motivated Miss
Motivated Miss proved too good for her rivals over 1200m (BM54) on Anzac Day before going down by half a length behind Kieffer as a $3.10 favourite over 1200m (Class 2) on May 25. The daughter of The Mission, the highest-rated horse in the race, won on debut during last year’s Darwin Cup Carnival when she saluted in a 1200m maiden. Motivated Miss was then second over 1300m (0-58) last September and finished unplaced in three other Top End starts last year.
Best Bet
Race 3 – 
#3 Motivated Miss (9)
4yo Mare | T: Jason Manning | J: Vanessa Arnott (58kg)
NEXT BEST: Rising Sphere
Returning from a six-month spell, Rising Sphere got his Cup Carnival preparations off to a flying start with a solid victory over 1100m (BM76) as a $3.30 favourite on June 8. In his previous start on December 8, Rising Sphere had a comfortable win over 1100m (0-70). The six-year-old gelding debuted in Darwin during the 2022 Cup Carnival with a seventh over 1100m (0-66), but his record at Fannie Bay now sits at five wins and seven minor placings from 16 starts.
Next Best
Race 6 – 
#3 Rising Sphere (1)
6yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Jarrod Todd (60.5kg)
BEST VALUE: Lucky Fortuna
Lucky FOrtuna must be considered despite stepping up in grade after a last start win over 1200m (0-58) on June 15 in her return appearance to the Top End. The four-year-old mare debuted for the Lehmann stable in Darwin this time last year, and in six starts, she picked up two wins and two minor placings with her best effort occurring against the four and five-year-olds over 1300m (Class 2) on Palmerston Sprint Day.
Best Value
Race 4 – 
#11 Lucky Fortuna (6)
4yo Mare | T: Heather Lehmann | J: Emma Lines (a1.5) (54.5kg)
Saturday Darwin quaddie tips – 29/6/2024
Darwin quadrella selections
Saturday, June 29, 2024
- 2-4-5-6-10
- 3-4-5-9
- 2-5-6-12
- 2-3-5-8