Welcome to our horse racing preview and betting tips for racing at Darwin on Monday, August 3rd.
It's Darwin Cup day on Monday, the Northern Territory's biggest race day of the year! Luke Krahe has previewed some of the key races on the card with his suggested betting tips below!
Darwin Racing Tips: 2020 Darwin Cup Day
I will start out by saying that the daughter of Written Tycoon (8) Ima Puppet does have my surname in the ownership group (brother is one of those paying the bills), many of which will be there on track today. I have been watching her with interest ever since she arrived in the NT this time last year. She won two in a row over the summer months here at Fannie Bay, she then placed at her next two before going to the paddock. She was good resuming when getting a mile back without cover, she was no match for the impressive winner but clearly the next best run of the race. She was outclassed at her latest, the biggest problem with her is that she rarely gets away with them. If she can begin better and stay in touch, she should be finishing as good as any and looks a great each-way bet back in this grade.
(1) Another Bit resumed here a month ago, he was wide without cover before moving up outside the speed. He stuck on well, amazing how they ride them up here, its just handlebars down from the outset it seems! He was an easing 6/4 favourite last time when second-up, again he was off the track without cover. He kept coming through the line, he looks right on track to be winning again over the carnival after winning on Palmerston Sprint day last year. He has the big weight but draws beautifully, he should get a more economical run and be too tough.
Race 10 – Palmerston Sprint (Market)
A little bit different this year for carnival goers, the Palmerston Sprint has been moved to Cup day to have both features on the one day. (1) Captain Punch will be a crowd favourite, the 9YO has won a race here over the carnival four years running. The last two years he has taken out this race, the Top End’s feature Sprint race, the first of his Palmy Sprint wins by a crushing 7.3 lengths. He carried 61kg last year and sat outside the leader before running away for another soft win. He resumed off a 6-month break with this race as the target, carrying 63.5kgs he was forced to do all the chasing but still too good in the run home. He carries a kilo more than last years win, looks to have come back well and you can be sure that the majority of Darwin Cup regulars will have a ticket of some sort with his name on it. Go the Captain!
Race 12 – Darwin Cup (Market)
The Cup finishes a long 12-race card, crowd numbers will not be the same as in past years, but I will bet dollars to donuts that it will still be a sea of fillies with heels off by this time of the day, the colts and entires not noticing until they try and get out here in the big one. Last year’s winner looks right on target (1) Ihtsahymn after a running on well fresh, he was a real eye-catcher but is no steal at the price though. (6) Lotion looks good value at huge odds and worth a ticket on an each-way basis. He won the Alice Springs Cup earlier in the year before going for a brief break, placed at two in a row here before coming through the same race as a few of these last time, including Ihtsahymn. He was wide early and then was shuffled back mid-race, was never on the track and worked to the line nicely. He meets the top two better in the weights, hard to see why he is such big odds. Could be a big night for followers if he can get the major share of the prizemoney.
