Spry wins as a trainer

IT was destined to be Carl Spry’s day at Fannie Bay on Saturday and that’s how it panned out.

Horse racing at Fannie Bay race course; Race 3 (4:57pm) - NT news race. Winning horse Todabar ridden by jockey Alana Brown.

IT was destined to be Carl Spry’s day at Fannie Bay on Saturday and that’s how it panned out.

On a tough day for the punter, Spry rode the winner in the first and was on board the horse he trains when he won the last, giving him his first winner as a trainer.

In between those rides, he finished last on the race favourite which bled and the other horse he trains, running in race three, pulled up lame.

The Kerry Petrick-trained Kayno (Spry) showed his win a month ago at Fannie Bay was no flash in the pan when he won the opening encounter, the RGM Handicap over 1200 metres.

Kayno was slow out of the barriers and was last down the back straight but Spry saved ground by sticking to the fence, powering to a comfortable one and three-quarters length win.

Pleasure or Pain (Samantha Rowley) was second after leading into the home straight and Ra Ikane (Vanessa Arnott) was third, three lengths adrift.

Kayno, the son of More than Ready, scored his second career win from 20 starts and back-to-back successes with trainer Petrick predicting more to come.

“He came to us with good form but he was just exhausted,” she said.

“We took a risk running him over 1200m again. He probably needed to step up but he had a stone bruise so we stuck with 1200m.”

Wily trainer Shane Clarke provided the surprise of the meeting when Ambrosia (Melanie Tyndall) finished the strongest in race four.

The six-year-old mare was the rank outsider paying $26 and was last at the turn but blitzed her rivals to score a one-length win.

The Gary Clarke-trained duo of Dreaming of Nepal (Richie Oakford) and It’s Home (Brendon Davis) filled the minor placings.

Tyndall was pleased with how Ambrosia finished off the race after disappointing at her two previous starts this preparation.

“She has been working nicely but her last couple of runs have been disappointing,” she said.

“She has ability and we have got her absolutely right now. She should have a bright future next year.”

Race three provided another long-shot winner when the Chris Pollard-trained Todabar (Alana Brown) won in style, paying $21.

The five-year-old gelding had the race won a long way out and shows plenty of promise, winning at only his second start in Darwin.

Brown had Todabar a handy second down the back straight behind the speedy Katespur (Vanessa Arnott) and the Pollard runner took over entering the straight for a three-lengths win over Apala (Scott Hillebrand) with Piper Street (Craig Lloyd).

In fact, more than 30 lengths covered the 11 runners.

“He was finding his dirt legs last time (when he was fifth behind Kayno),” Brown said.

“He struggled round the corners and was under pressure early last start.

“But today he did it a bit easier and credit to Chris Pollard for getting him right.”

The final race, the Maiden Plate over 1100m, had the Spry hallmark stamped all over it and he did not let the female owners of Nervous, his four-year-old gelding, down.

Nervous scored a comfortable four and a half lengths win from Breathe Free (Samantha Rowley) with Chettalli (Stephen Ridler) third a length behind.

“I am a little bit shattered that Swanky Beau (race three) did a tendon,” Spry said.

“He has probably been working better than Nervous.”

Spry said the win felt as good as it looked for himself, his partner Sarah and for the women in the syndicate, many of whom are first time owners.

“I didn’t have the privilege to ride a winner on my first day as a jockey so to train one is a bit better,” he said.