It might be the last day of the year on Saturday, but the Darwin Turf Club will host a bumper meeting with 76 horses accepting for the eight-race card at Fannie Bay.
Outside the Darwin Cup Carnival, it's rare for the DTC to have so many horses racing and for so many races to be scheduled at this time of year as it's the height of the wet season.
The St Patrick's Day Cup meeting in March and lead up meetings in June prior to the Darwin Cup Carnival (July-August) are perhaps an exception.
So many numbers is not necessarily a surprise on this occasion after the meeting on December 17 was abandoned when a heavy lunchtime storm approximately two hours before the first race left surface water on the entire circumference of the track.
Senior jockeys decided the conditions were unsafe for racing and the meeting was called off.
Thankfully, barring yet another extraordinary occurrence with the weather, it's all systems go this weekend with Darwin-based jockeys either returning or missing, while Alice Springs and interstate jockeys will trek to the Top End.
Of the local riders injury has sidelined Paul Shiers (shoulder), Sonja Wiseman (wrist) and apprentice Emma Lines (bruising), and Casey Hunter is spending the festive period with family in her home town of Albany in Western Australia.
In fact, Hunter had five rides at the Albany meeting on Boxing Day.
Lines, who made her debut on December 9 and saluted in her very first race, fell from her mount during a trial at Fannie Bay on December 20, but along with Wiseman will hopefully return on January 14.
Wayne Davis, who suffered injuries after falling from his mount during trackwork in late October, has returned from injury and Vanessa Arnott is back from suspension.
Adam Nicholls left the Northern Territory for Victoria in November, while apprentice Jade Hampson is set to make her Fannie Bay return in 2023 after spending the last four months riding in South Australia where she also attended apprentice school in Adelaide.
Paul Denton and Phillip Crich, former Darwin-based jockeys, along with apprentice Dakota-Lee Gillett, who has never ridden on race-day at Fannie Bay previously, will make the trip from Alice Springs to fulfill engagements in the Top End.
Brisbane-based pair Nathan Day and Cecily Eaton, along with Adelaide-domiciled apprentice Britney Wong and Canberra-based jockey Jack Martin are also making the trip north this weekend.
Day, who rides mainly in central and northern Queensland, Eaton, who rides throughout south-east Queensland, and Wong, who rides in Adelaide and in regional South Australia, have ridden in Darwin in the past.
Martin, who rides in the ACT and in the southern regions of NSW, will be making his debut at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
Day has eight rides, Gillett seven, Wong seven, Denton six, Eaton six, Crich five and Martin five, and in all fairness they're all capable of tasting success.
It might also be wise to keep an eye on Wong and Gillett as they will claim 3kg and 4kg, respectively.
“To have eight races and to have so many horses racing this weekend is a great way to end the year,” Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory chief executive officer Andrew O'Toole said.
“The main race is an open handicap over 1100m and sees the return of I Am The Fox, but he might find the likes of Bat Pad, Mr Cashman, Mini Boom, Poupee and Cudjerie a bit too quick on this occasion.
“Former Queensland runner Desert Dreamer from the Gary Clarke stable, who started his career in Victoria, makes his Darwin debut and could be one to keep an eye on, and the likes of Spielberg, Hokolesqua and Swing With Junior can also spring a surprise.
“There are numerous chances in the other seven races such is the depth on Saturday, so it should be a highly competitive days racing.
“To have the previous meeting abandoned was unfortunate, but you can't do much about the weather.
“Everyone wishes Paul Shiers, Sonja Wiseman and Emma Lines a speedy recovery, and it's good to have Wayne Davis back riding after injury.
“To have Nathan Day, Cecily Eaton, Britney Wong, Jack Martin, Paul Denton, Phillip Crich and Dakota-Lee Gillett make the trip to Darwin is a bonus, and it should be a special occasion for Jack and Dakota-Lee as it will be the first appearance at Fannie Bay.
“Come the New Year, from a local perspective, it will be good to have Paul, Sonja, Emma, Casey Hunter and Jade Hampson riding here in Darwin, and Lorelle Crow will make a return in Alice Springs following injury.”
As a result of the Darwin meeting being abandoned on December 17, Heat 5 of the DTC's Lightning Wet Season Series has been re-scheduled for January 14.
O'Toole confirmed that there will be two heats now on January 14 – Heat 5 will be over 1300m (0-64) and Heat 7 will be over 1000m (BM54).
Heat 6 takes place on Saturday over 1100m (0-64) and it's race five on the program, and at this stage it's expected to accommodate a full field of 12 runners.
After the heats the 12 horses with the most points will qualify for the $40,000 Lightning Wet Season Series Final (0-70) over 1200m on Australia Day, January 26.
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