Darwin trainers flock to Kununurra, Betoota
Darwin Cup winner Dick Leech and his fellow Top End trainers dominate the Kununurra Race Club fields on Saturday.
The WA club, located 514km west of Katherine, will host seven races on its grassed surface, with Kununurra Cup Day scheduled for next Saturday.
The KRC hosted three meetings in August and September last year, but there are only two meetings in 2023, with Darwin trainers fielding 24 of the 35 runners this weekend.
Top End trainer Chris Pollard, fresh from a winning double on Katherine Cup Day last Saturday with Hello Hollywood and Go Bundle, is in town to monitor five horses for WA trainer Peter Farrell.
Leech, back in action after winning the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 7 with Write Your Name, will have nine runners, with Prince Of Mercia, King’s Star and Stage Front his best hopes.
It was 12 months ago that Leech, the reigning Alice Springs champion trainer, won nine of the 18 races at Kununurra, including the $32,500 Kununurra Cup (1800m) with Lunch Session.
Cup Day was the second day of the KRC triple-header, with Leech winning five of the six races with Signor Fangio, Halgard, Coin Collector, Lunch Session, and the one and only Write Your Name.
Leech came close to claiming the program when Spill The Money finished second behind the Kerry Petrick-trained New Roman.
In 2016, Leech had five wins on Kununurra Cup Day in the far north-east corner of WA and that included a Cup win with Idatrice.
Speaking of Write Your Name, he ended up winning a race in Kununurra on all three days last year before capturing the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) in April and the recent Darwin Cup.
Fellow Darwin trainers supporting the Kununurra races this year include Petrick and Tayarn Halter, while Alice Springs trainer Russell Bell and WA trainer Kelvin Moore, based at Derby, are also on deck.
Halter and Petrick had four and three wins, respectively, on their WA sojourn last year, while the other two wins at Kununurra went to WA pair Farrell and Anthony Barton.
Just like Leech, Petrick, who will have eight runners on Saturday, and Halter, who will have seven starters this weekend, have returned with horses that have enjoyed success at Kununurra in the past.
Mangione, New Roman and Real Divine were successful 12 months ago for Petrick, Boom Boom Sweet has proven competitive at Kununurra, and Magnolia Rose and Throw At Da Stumps are better than average.
Don’t Wait, Raffalli and Hattan Man saluted for Halter a year ago, More Snitzel got the cash for the Farrell stable last year, Pocket Pistol is backing up after winning at Katherine last Saturday, and Kippax had been racing well at Fannie Bay before coming fourth in the Katherine Cup (1700m) last weekend.
Farrell’s quintet of Jimmy’s Secret, Bart’s Bullet, Glenaureen, Toppa The Mountain and Greatest Destiny have been sent to Pollard.
And they’re all in the mix after producing good form during the recent Broome Cup Carnival, especially last-start winners Bart’s Bullet and Toppa The Mountain, and it’s as no surprise that both – as well as Jimmy’s Secret and Glenaureen – were quoted as warm favourites on Thursday.
Derek’s Regret will have his first run for the Bell stable after a last-start second in Hawker, while City Of Sin from the Moore yard is a $2.40 favourite after two third-place finishes at Derby and Broome.
Delago Lad, Irememberwhen and Garrucha impressed for Bell during the Darwin Cup Carnival and must be respected.
Meanwhile, Darwin trainer Phil Cole has returned to western Queensland for yet another Birdsville Cup campaign (September 1-2) and will kick off proceedings with seven runners on Betoota Cup Day on Saturday.
Cole, second behind Gary Clarke in the 2022/23 Top End trainers’ premiership, had runners at Betoota, Birdsville, Bedourie, Winton and Longreach last year and had 10 wins – including victory in the Birdsville Cup (1600m) and Bedourie Cup (1600m) with Saccharo.
Fresh from a winning double on Katherine Cup Day with Sedona and Great Boulder, Cole’s best hope is perhaps the ever-consistent Vunivalu in the Open Handicap (1000m).
Darwin apprentice Emma Lines, third in the Top End and Country jockeys’ premiership last season with 21 winners after debuting in December, has accompanied the Cole stable as she prepares to make her Queensland debut.
SA trainer Kym Healy, who has had constant success in the NT over the years, will be represented by six runners at Betoota, with the in-form Equal Balance and Taipan Tommy lining up in the Betoota Cup (1600m).