We have studied the form from all races at the top end for Darwin Cup Day: Monday August 1, and provided our best horse racing tips.
The Darwin Cup run on the first Monday in August is one of the highlights of the racing calendar and a trip to the iconic Fannie Bay racecourse is a bucket list item for punters of all ages.
We have previewed each of the 10 races here for Darwin Cup day and provided our top three selections in each race as well as highlighted our best two bets of the day and our best value ‘roughie’. So, read on below to find our best horse racing tips for Darwin Cup Day: Monday, August 1.
Key Details:
Weather – Fine
Rail – True
Track – Good
Darwin, Race 1 – Schweppes Handicap: 1200m (0-70 Rating)
Mister Monaro has mixed his form since coming to the Territory but looks well placed here dropping back sharply in grade after just warming up late over 1100m against the Open horses last start.
We’ll go with him over Global Wonder who has posted victories over quite a few of these in recent months and has been racing well.
And for third include El Magnificence who comes out of the same race as Mister Monaro. He knocked up late there after racing handy and is sure to strip fitter from the run and be better suited by the tempo of the race at 1200m.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 1 – 5/2/4
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Darwin, Race 2 – Harvey Norman Trobis Handicap: 1200m (0-58 Rating)
Hard to go past the powerful local trainer jockey combo here of Gary Clarke and Jarrod Todd. Akoni has been very good since coming to the NT from the McEvoy yard in SA. He posted a commanding win over Bear Forever who ran a good race midweek. He draws well here and looks ready to progress beyond a 58 ratings race.
Blueberry Boy won well on debut here and in form hoop Sonja Wiseman only has to overcome the tricky draw and you can expect him to feature in the finish whilst Fraction Late having just start number three for one of Darwin’s former leading hoops David Bates.
Won well last start and comes out of a race which featured handy types First Crusade and Super Famous prior to that. He draws bad here and loses the services of Paul Shiers, otherwise he would be higher up in the numbers.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 2 – 1/4/3
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Darwin, Race 3 – TAB Handicap: 1100m (0-66 Rating)
In what could be a big day for the Clarke stable we simply cannot go past Rising Sphere in this one. Won with a leg in the air on Wednesday here when making his local debut after being formerly trained by Philip Stokes. Have to trust Clarke’s decision to back him up in this, and would only need a repeat performance to be too good for these.
Most are expecting Gary Clarke and Rob Gulberti to fight out the feature Darwin Cup later in the day, and that also looks the case here. Isola Bay ran on well having its first look at the track last week in what was a hotly run race. Not sure he gets the same tempo here in this small field and he drops back to 1100m, so we are putting Rising Sphere on top.
Illustrating Law is yet to have a look at the Fannie Bay circuit but is certainly good enough to feature off of his Sydney form and he looks the value runner.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 3 – 1/2/3
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Darwin, Race 4 – Seppelt Montgomerie Lightning Plate: 1000m (Open Hcp)
A small but select field for the sprint feature of the day. Very hard to go past short course specialist Ideas Man for local trainer Chris Nash who has an excellent strike rate with his small team. Dean Holland should be able to land on or very close to the pace here and he should be too strong for them on recent form.
The veteran Kronos looks his main threat. He draws outside him, and John Keating takes over here on Cup day.
And we will go with Glock for third who is a honest galloper who is yet to breakthrough for Jess Gleeson, but her team is racing well this carnival and she engages Sonja Wiseman again here who is riding as well as hoop over the past month.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 4 – 2/3/6
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Darwin, Race 5 – Australian Turf Club Handicap: 1600m (0-58)
Bendigo based conditioner Kym Hann has had a good run with his team both in Darwin and in Alice Springs prior to that and would be looking to claim a race early in the day here before settling in to cheer home his Cup runner. Both look tricky affairs but think he can get the result in this one.
Boy Big had been a model of consistency before finally breaking through on Wednesday for a maiden win. They can quite often be tougher to win than these 58 ratings races and I’m happy to go with him on the 5 day turnaround and stepping up to the mile for the first time.
Gary Clarke once again has a strong hand here and his topweight We Will Remember is another who is backing up out of victory on Wednesday. That was at a mile which serves him well for this but he did cop a 2kg penalty for that and has drawn the outside here.
Sirocco Gale looks a very dour type and probably needs it further than the mile. His runs in both the Guineas and the Derby were very good though and he can feature in your multiples at odds.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 5 – 3/1/5
Darwin, Race 6 – G.H. Mumm Handicap: 1600m (Benchmark NT)
Making Wolfburn our best of the day. He takes on the older horses here after winning the Guineas and running a bold second in the NT Derby. He looks a better than average type who is taking on a moderate bunch here. Gets the gun draw and looks very hard to hold out.
Dataset has been good winning its two runs since coming to the top end with Jess Gleeson. He is in terrific form but might just be a class below our top pick.
It really is hard to make a case for any of the rest of them but we will go with the top weight Saccharo on account of a significant drop back in grade.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 6 – 3/2/1
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Darwin, Race 7 – Ladbrokes Handicap: 1300m (0-62)
The Mistral blew them away in the opener here on Metric Mile day. The step to 1300m should pose no issues going off his NSW form. Just relying on Todd to overcome the horror draw if you are prepared to take the short quote.
Worth saving on the Phil Cole trained Nokondi who surprised punters with a debut Darwin win, but he will be well supported here. And we will go with Darwin carnival staple favourite Neil Dyer who doesn’t have as strong a hand as previous years but can fill the minors in this with Latest Bentley if he gets a run.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 7 – 3/8/14
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Darwin, Race 8 – Magic Millions Handicap: 1300m (Benchmark NT)
Flying Start is another example of where we expect the Guineas form to hold up around Wolfburn. He came out back to 1200m last start and won well, beating the handy Super Famous. Goes to 1300m and he can go back to back here if he runs up to that effort.
Noble War has been a model of consistency and drops to 54.5kg. He loses the services of regular rider Paul Shiers on account of that but it provides the opportunity for stable apprentice, the promising Jade Hampson to showcase her talents on Darwin’s biggest stage. Expect him to run a cheeky race.
Hard not to include Autocratic in the numbers. Never far away in this type of company and is a last start winner. Expect him to run top 3 in what is one of the stronger races on the card.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 8 – 4/8/3
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Darwin, Race 9 – Silks Darwin Handicap: 2050m (Benchmark NT)
Essentially the consolation race for the feature Darwin Cup. Magnossiva looked like he could storm into Cup calculations two starts back with his blistering finish out wide behind Kaonic, but he probably drew a bit too well last start and in hindsight they probably rode him too handy along with never looking comfortable in the going along the inside.
Expect they’ll revert back to a quieter ride here and allow him to finish off out to the 2050m. If they do that, he can charge over the top of them late.
Lady Whistledown is facing her toughest test to date but few would argue she isn’t up to it after her last start 6.5L win over the mile.
At his best Dominus would be too good for these but he has been disappointing his past two and might have had enough, but still keep him safe in your exotics.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 9 – 5/8/1
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Darwin, Race 10 – Great Northern Darwin Cup: 2050m (Open Handicap)
This really looked a race in two early in the week until Thursday afternoon’s barrier draw which turned the picture of the race on its head.
On paper it would appear that I Am the Fox has drawn poorly but his run in the Metric Mile where he got a minute off them settling before commencing a strong run along the inside was a real eye catcher.
He peaked late there but he was first up for nearly three months and had to work extra hard in the ploughed out going along the rails. He has to carry the 60kg but that still has him well in under the compressed weight scale and I think he can get over the top of these late.
I thought Playoffs was the horse to beat until the barrier draw. He was ultra impressive winning the Chief Minister’s Cup where he really switched on late and was drawing clear of them on the line. He is going to be hard to hold out again but might just have to do some work from the draw which could tell late.
Race favourite Living the Dream is well credentialed for a race like this and his trainer Rob Gulberti is already a two time Darwin Cup winner. He won well when having his first look at the track in last week’s Metric Mile but he has to repeat that performance at least after a busy travel and racing schedule over the past fortnight. He gets all the favours with gun hoop Brad Rawiller to steer and draws soft. Plenty to like about him but happy to take him on at the short quote.
The Shark’s Selections
Race 10 – 2/3/1
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Best Bet – 3. Wolfburn (Race 6)
Next Best – 5. Mister Monaro (Race 1)
Best Roughie – 2. I Am the Fox (Race 10)
