Punt like a Pro, without the know!
Northern Territory · Saturday 17 October 2026
Our top pick won 1 of 6 races at Darwin. Every pick, our analysis and the full results are below.
top pick wonanother tip wonno tip won
The only true front-runner in a likely slow-run sprint, drawn barrier 2 on a track where leaders and on-pace runners dominate. Recent runs of second at this grade show he is in good order, and the jockey and trainer combination is very successful at Fannie Bay. Top weight is a concern but he should control the race and is the most likely winner on form.
She should settle just behind the leader and be well placed to pounce in a slow tempo. The class rise is a question mark, but the light weight helps and she is a solid each-way chance.
A fair chance on form having won at this trip and being competitive across his last few starts, including a close third over 1200m. The trainer is in good form and he drops in class, but a slowly-run race limits his ability to run down a lone leader. A genuine place chance, though short for a horse needing speed in the race.
Returns from a spell with a big class drop and the best draw in the field. His run third over 1300m in a stronger grade was a good effort, and he has won at this grade before. The recent staying runs were out of his depth, so this return to sprinting is a plus.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | King Akeed | 1 | Paul Shiers | Tommy Logan | 60kg | $5.00 |
| 2nd | 1 | Mr Marrakech | 2 | Jarrod Todd | Gary Clarke | 60.5kg | $2.70 |
| 3rd | 5 | Time To Baca | 4 | Angel Brennan | Philip Cole | 54.5kg | $7.50 |
| 4th | 4 | If I Was You | 5 | Leslie Tilley | Chloe Baxter | 58.5kg | $6.00 |
| 5th | 6 | Press Express | 6 | Billy Cray | Tommy Logan | 57kg | $6.00 |
| 6th | 3 | Brazen Bon | 3 | Vanessa Arnott | Jason Manning | 59.5kg | $5.50 |
Her recent form is the best in the field. She has won four of her last five, and her recent runs rate well above her rivals. She should settle just behind the leader from barrier 4, and the map favours that. A 42-day gap and an unfamiliar jockey are the only worries.
I'm not putting her first because the map has her at the back on a speed-biased track, from barrier 7, and she steps up in class. She has led and run third before, so she can be handy.
A consistent type who has won at this track and distance and is well drawn. His last run was a fair fourth after being caught wide without cover, and the draw this time should get him a better trip. He carries a good weight and has been slipping a little. A sound place chance rather than a strong win chance.
She has been running well over this trip and was only just beaten last start after a wide trip. She gets a big weight break with the claim and should be on the pace, which suits the track. Her many seconds suggest she can be hard to put away, but she doesn't always get the job done.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Struck Gold | 2 | Jessica Booth | Ella Clarke | 58.5kg | $4.20 |
| 2nd | 7 | Littlebourkestreet | 7 | Paul Shiers | Paul J Shiers | 55.5kg | $3.00 |
| 3rd | 6 | Montjuic Magic | 4 | Leslie Tilley | Chloe Baxter | 57kg | $6.50 |
| 4th | 3 | Flying Annie | 6 | Angel Brennan | Gary Clarke | 55kg | $4.40 |
| 5th | 5 | Zing To Win | 1 | Danielle Hirini | Chris Pollard | 58kg | $12.00 |
| 6th | 2 | Devils Delight | 3 | Jarrod Todd | Gary Clarke | 59.5kg | $5.50 |
| 7th | 4 | Hamlet Von Snitzel | 5 | Wayne Davis | Chris Pollard | 58kg | $101.00 |
The only likely leader in a moderate-tempo 1100m, in a race type where on-pace runners dominate here. The 62kg is a worry, but he is the best fit on form and map.
A reliable type who has won at this grade and distance and has been in the placings behind better horses. Drawn well and set to settle just off the speed, he should be in the finish if fit enough first up.
Won over this track and distance and has been running on late in each of his recent starts. He needs the pace to be strong, but a moderate tempo and barrier 5 should let him settle just behind the speed. The jockey has little local experience, which is a concern.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 9 | Rising Water | 4 | Paul Shiers | Paul J Shiers | 55.5kg | $20.00 |
| 2nd | 3 | Bold Suitor | 1 | Jarrod Todd | Gary Clarke | 61kg | $1.65 |
| 3rd | 1 | Ankle Rolex | 9 | Billy Cray | Patrick Johnston | 62kg | $15.00 |
| 4th | 6 | Polarising | 6 | Jessica Booth | Tommy Logan | 58kg | $13.00 |
| 5th | 5 | Southampton Flare | 5 | Leslie Tilley | Chloe Baxter | 61kg | $13.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Snappy Sweetheart | 2 | Wayne Davis | Rhonda Cole | 57.5kg | $18.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Dynamic Theory | 3 | Angel Brennan | Tommy Logan | 58kg | $10.00 |
| 8th | 7 | Miss Black Diamond | 8 | Danielle Hirini | Tommy Logan | 57.5kg | $61.00 |
| 9th | 2 | Tigers Roar | 7 | Dakota-Lee Gillett | Tayarn Halter | 62kg | $5.50 |
The best form runner on the day. She won last start at Fannie Bay over this trip in the same grade and has been consistently at a winning standard. Top weight and a possible settle further back than her past runs are the risks. The map suits runners in the first four, and her past runs show she can get there.
A winner last start over this course and distance, and his best runs are right in the frame for this grade. The trainer is hot and the jockey has won on him both times. The draw and a jump in grade are the concerns, and he can be slow away.
On-pace types hold the edge at Fannie Bay and she should land in a handy spot from a good draw. She has won over this trip but comes back from a long break with a cold stable and a poor last-start run.
A young filly with a big weight advantage and a handy draw. She ran second at this track last start and drops in grade today.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Steamy Mist | 4 | Paul Shiers | Tommy Logan | 59.5kg | $2.70 |
| 2nd | 1 | Tears Are Flowing | 5 | Jarrod Todd | Gary Clarke | 60.5kg | $2.80 |
| 3rd | 4 | Meet Me At The Bar | 7 | Stan Tsaikos | Chris Nash | 59kg | $6.50 |
| 4th | 3 | Blitzwater | 1 | Danielle Hirini | Tommy Logan | 59kg | $4.40 |
| 5th | 8 | Prince Of Sparta | 8 | Leslie Tilley | Chloe Baxter | 55kg | $14.00 |
| 6th | 7 | Good Onya Darl | 6 | Billy Cray | Patrick Johnston | 55kg | $26.00 |
| 7th | 5 | God's Eye | 2 | Dakota-Lee Gillett | Philip Cole | 56kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 6 | Mistifyzou | 3 | Angel Brennan | Philip Cole | 52.5kg | |
| Scr | 9 | Sassy Abbey | 9 | Philip Cole | 55kg |
The best form fit in a race that should be run slowly. He is a proven Fannie Bay miler with 4 wins from 14 at the track and distance, and he can sit just behind the leader. His two recent wins were in weaker country company, but they showed he is in good order.
She will probably lead unchallenged in a slowly-run race, and that is a big advantage here. Her form has been consistent at Fannie Bay, with a win and a second in her last three runs at the track. The risk is she is not as strong late over a mile, and 58kg is a real burden.
Those were weaker races than this, and he has struggled to win.
A long shot, but with a genuine map advantage. He should be handy behind the leader in a race that may be slowly run, and the 55kg weight is a big plus on a long journey. The distance is a question, as he has never run it, and he has lacked the class to win.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 5 | Sass | 3 | Billy Cray | Chloe Baxter | 58kg | $3.20 |
| 2nd | 4 | I'm A Dreamer | 4 | Jessica Booth | Tayarn Halter | 56.5kg | $5.50 |
| 3rd | 2 | Merimbula | 5 | Jarrod Todd | Gary Clarke | 60kg | $2.50 |
| 4th | 7 | Charlie Magic | 7 | Dakota-Lee Gillett | Terry Gillett | 55kg | $8.50 |
| 5th | 8 | My Luna | 6 | Danielle Hirini | Chris Pollard | 55kg | $17.00 |
| 6th | 6 | Bryce | 1 | Wayne Davis | Philip Cole | 56.5kg | $7.00 |
| Scr | 1 | Tokyo Bandit | 2 | Paul Shiers | Chris Nash | 60.5kg | |
| Scr | 3 | Dummy Spit | 8 | Tommy Logan | 59kg |
Genuine contender who won this grade over the distance last month and now gets class relief. The negatives are a heavy 60.5kg, a wide draw and a jockey change, and he might be left with too much to do if the leader controls the race.
Ran a cracking race last start but now steps up to a mile and will probably be back in the field in a slowly-run race, which is the worst scenario at this track. He has never won at the distance.
Poor recent results hide the fact that he has good early speed in a race with only one real leader, and he's much better over the mile than 1200m. A forward ride off barrier 5 gives him a good chance to be in the first three, which is where winners come from at Fannie Bay.
| Finish | No. | Horse | Barrier | Jockey | Trainer | Weight | SP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | Biden Time | 2 | Jessica Booth | Gary Clarke | 59kg | $1.85 |
| 2nd | 7 | New Enterprise | 6 | Paul Shiers | Peter Stennett | 55kg | $7.50 |
| 3rd | 5 | Canggu | 5 | Danielle Hirini | Tayarn Halter | 56.5kg | $5.50 |
| 4th | 2 | Miami Baby | 8 | Leslie Tilley | Chloe Baxter | 60.5kg | $4.20 |
| 5th | 6 | Bit Tired Actually | 7 | Angel Brennan | Philip Cole | 53kg | $21.00 |
| 6th | 8 | Danger Man | 1 | Jarrod Todd | Chris Pollard | 55kg | $18.00 |
| 7th | 4 | Hell And Back | 3 | Vanessa Arnott | Chris Pollard | 58kg | $26.00 |
| Scr | 3 | Funnyifitwon | 4 | Deborah Barton | Tayarn Halter | 57kg |
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