The Michael Hickmott-trained Garrix, a three-year-old chestnut son of Frankel, will be looking to complete a hat-trick of wins … going from maiden to feature race success … when he lines up for the $150,000 NT Derby over 2050m at the Fannie Bay Racetrack in Darwin on Saturday.
Hickmott saddled Garrix to back-to-back victories in his last two starts, firstly striking in a Maiden Plate over 1400m at Alice Springs … a race he won by 7.50 lengths … and Garrix then followed that up with a Three-Year-Old Handicap win over 1600m at Darwin.
This Hickmott-trained runner started favourite on both of those occasions … but, as the intensity of the challenge he faces increases here, this time, with Raymond Vigar in the saddle for the first time, he is only on the fourth line of betting at $10 in a race which has two clear main fancies, Leveraged Buyout ($2.30) and Maldini ($3.90) according to leading betting apps Australia.
The Dick Leech-trained Leveraged Buyout was an impressive winner in the Darwin Guineas last time out, scoring by a thoroughly convincing 4.80-length margin. Apprentice Jade Hampson, who piloted the son of Dundeel to victory there, retains the ride.
The Gary Clarke-trained Maldini finished six lengths behind Leveraged Buyout in the Guineas, and they will again meet on the same terms. That was the gelding’s first start for Clarke since transferring from the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman training partnership and his closeness to Leveraged Buyout in the betting suggests that an improved effort could be forthcoming in his second start in his new surroundings. Jason Lyon has the ride again.
The Neil Dyer-trained Hopeless Romantic … at $6.50 … is the runner who separates Garrix and the two main fancies in the betting.
Hopeless Romantic was a maiden winner two runs back, but he then appeared to be found wanting in the Darwin Guineas when finishing out of the placings, a full 7.60 lengths behind Leveraged Buyout. Billy Cray has the ride.
