Doubles for top NT jockey and Brisbane apprentice in Darwin bog
Leading Darwin jockey Sonja Logan and visiting Brisbane apprentice Minonette Kennedy starred in the monsoonal conditions at Fannie Bay on Saturday with winning doubles.
There was plenty of rain and mud as the Darwin Turf Club kicked off 2024.
Logan triumphed aboard Angela Forster’s Volatore (+800) over 1200m (0-70) before backing up next race to guide Make An Effort (+800) home over 1000m (BM54) for trainer and husband Tom Logan.
After injuring her leg when her mount reared in the gates at Alice Springs last weekend, it didn’t take Logan long to bounce back.
Kennedy accepted an invitation from local trainer Patrick Johnston to head north following an injury to Ipswich apprentice Olivia Kendal, who had success on Johnston’s Ankle Rolex during her first Darwin trip on December 30.
In recent times, a plethora of interstate riders have had success when they’ve debuted at Fannie Bay, but to land a double is a very rare occurrence.
The Queensland apprentice, claiming 1.5kg, got Ankle Rolex ($5) across the line over 1300m (0-64) before saluting on stablemate Barty Aya ($17) over 1200m (0-58) in the next race.
A winning double also made it three wins for the season for Johnston.
Volatore, a six-year-old gelding, arrived from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable in Victoria and impressed first up when fourth behind Tubthumper over 1200m (BM76) a month ago.
Easily eight lengths behind the leaders passing the 600m, Volatore appeared redundant before making up ground and in the home straight his path was blocked at the 300m.
The son of Nicconi, boasting a 15:3-4-2 record, then found daylight before rocketing home to nail Phil Cole’s El Magnificence (+400) right on the line.
That made it three seconds in a row for El Magnificence, while stablemate Vunivalu (+340), who set the early pace with El Magnificence and Bullinachinashop, was third.
For Forster, it was her first win since Zoumist saluted on August 5 during the Darwin Cup Carnival.
Make An Effort, a seven-year-old mare, returned from a spell on December 30 and was far from disgraced when third over 1000m (0-58), and on Saturday she never looked like losing after taking the lead at the 700m.
Logan controlled the tempo superbly and although Chole Baxter’s Shecanmixit (-111.11) posed a serious threat, turning for home Make An Effort looked irresistible.
The daughter of Reward For Effort prevailed by a length and half from Shecanmixit, who recovered from a last start ninth after breaking the 1000m track record in early December, while Gary Clarke’s Chief Mondo (+1400) battled away for third.
Ankle Rolex, a four-year-old gelding, worked hard and deserved his win despite sneaking home from Kerry Petrick’s Magnolia Rose (+3000) and Peter Stennett’s New Enterprise (+700) – just 0.24 lengths separated the trio.
Settling in sixth place, Kennedy looked to go five wide leaving the back straight, and with 500m to go, Ankle Rolex started to make ground on the leaders, Zoutellus and New Enterprise.
Turning for home, Magnolia Rose made a move and with 200m to go, four horses shared the lead before Zoutellus ($4 fav) lost touch and Ankle Rolex, the son of Cable Bay, secured the narrowest of wins.
Johnston only entered Barty Aya, a five-year-old mare, in the 0-58 grade because there was no maiden scheduled.
Barty Aya, the daughter of America, was camped on the fence behind the leaders Looking For You and Cisalpine for most of the race, but with 400m to go approaching the final corner Kennedy went wide in her quest for success.
Once straightening, the mare gobbled up the leaders, however Logan’s Queen In The North (+260) – sitting comfortably midfield on the rails – was gradually making ground along the fence and in fact looked the likely winner at the 200m.
Barty Aya found an extra gear to kick clear and sink Queen In The North by 1.8 lengths, with Ella Clarke’s Cisalpine (+1400) hanging on for third.
Runners in the first race over 1300m (Class 2) endured the worst of the conditions before Jason Manning’s Bon’s Pride (-181.82) made it back to back wins from Petrick’s Princess Pancakes (+1200) and Logan’s Beatification (+360).
After sharing the early lead with Gold Is Luming and New York Spirit, Beatifcation – holding the fence – and Bon’s Pride skipped away down the side and looked like battling it out for honours.
Bon’s Pride finally edged clear with 100m to go to seal victory by 1.4 lengths from the fast-finishing Princess Pancakes, the sister of NT Derby winner Anphina, and Beatification, a winner over Barty Aya in a 1200m maiden on December 30.
With Bon’s Pride’s regular rider Vanessa Arnott celebrating her birthday, last year’s Darwin Cup winning jockey Paul Shiers partnered the horse for his first win since landing a double on Melbourne Cup Day.