High-flying Son Of Bielski wins Darwin’s St Patrick’s Day Cup
Darwin trainer Chris Nash has confirmed that Son Of Bielski will contest the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup after taking out the $40,000 St Patrick’s Day Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
The Red Centre’s biggest race is scheduled for Pioneer Park on April 7 and Son Of Bielski, a seven-year-old gelding by Dissident, will hopefully follow in the footsteps of Garry Lefoe’s I Am The Fox and Gary Clarke’s Count Of Essex.
I Am The Fox and Count Of Essex, who won the 2021 and 2022 St Patrick’s Day Cup, backed up to win the Alice Springs Cup (2000m).
Clarke’s Siakam, who won last year’s St Patrick’s Day Cup (0-76), didn’t appear at the 2023 Alice Springs Cup Carnival.
For Son Of Bielski, owned by Nash’s father Andrew, that made it five straight wins at Fannie Bay after a first up fifth over 1100m (BM54) following his arrival from Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea’s Murray Bridge stable.
Nash, successful in the 2015 St Patrick’s Day Cup with King Kev, is now aiming to win his first Alice Springs feature after saluting with Mayameen in the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) during the 2021 Darwin Cup Carnival.
Last year, Nash’s Ideas Man was second in the Palmerston.
For Son Of Bielski’s in-form rider Jade Hampson, she has won 14 races in the NT in the past seven weeks.
The 20-year-old apprentice ended Saturday’s program with a double after guiding the Tayarn Halter-trained The Stifmeister to its second straight win.
Although lumping 60kg as the topweight, Son Of Bielski (+360) was always a serious contender on Saturday and once the nine-horse field finally settled entering the back straight he found himself six lengths behind the leaders passing the 1200m.
Phil Cole’s Tubthumper, last year’s Darwin Guineas winner, held sway out in front before Son Of Bielski, along with fellow backmarkers Command King and Vallabar, made ground on the front-runners passing the 800m.
Son Of Bielski found another gear at the 600m, but Hampson was forced five deep approaching the final corner after catching the five horses out in front with 400m to go.
There were plenty of chances entering the home straight and with 300m remaining Angela Forster’s fast-finishing Command King, who was also forced deep, moved up inside Son Of Bielski, who then skipped to a narrow lead passing the 200m.
In the end, Son Of Bielski – the winner of two races at Morphettville for Clarken and O’Shea – proved too strong for Command King (+3000), who had failed to run a place in its seven other Darwin starts.
Clarke’s +900 hope Vallabar, third in the 2022 Darwin Cup, also powered home to finish 1.7 lengths adrift in third place.
Clarke was aiming to win the St Patrick’s Day Cup for the fourth time in five years, but Wilsons Prom, the +180 favourite with leading horse racing bookmakers, had every chance before fading to finish eighth after having won four of his past five starts.