Fawke fine for Adelaide River Cup despite Alice Springs fall

[Wandering Eyes]

Sairyn Fawke suffered no injuries following a fall last Sunday in Alice Springs and is fit to ride Starouz, the likely favourite, in the Adelaide River Cup (1600m) at Fannie Bay in Darwin on Saturday.

Thankfully, Sairyn Fawke escaped injury when he fell from his mount during last Sunday’s race meeting in Alice Springs.

The Kevin Lamprecht-trained Rhythmical fell on its nose as soon as the field jumped in the Imparja 0-58 Handicap (1200m) with Fawke being dislodged.

Starting from a wide gate in the nine-horse field, the 31-year-old fell from the eight-year-old gelding on the left hand side and although falling to the dirt he and Rhythmical had no issue with any other horse.

“The horse just stumbled out of the gate, he just fell on its nose,” Fawke said.

“I just got back up, I was right.

“The ambulance guys checked me out, but I was fine.

“I was able to ride for the rest of the rest of the day.”

Fawke had a full book of rides on the six-event program at Pioneer Park, and in fact won the second race when he partnered $3.40 favourite Travanti to victory for Lamprecht in the JJ’s Waste 0-58 Handicap (1200m).

It was in the next race where Fawke came to grief, and the fall only added to his frustration.

Rhythmical, who has been racing in the Red Centre since October 2017, went into the event in decent form and started as a $2.60 favourite.

“He probably would have won too,” Fawke said.

“It has been a long time since I’ve had a fall.”

After a few years, Fawke returned to ride in the Red Centre in late April and early May where he rode five winners on the final two days of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival.

Fawke will get the chance to perhaps seal that win aboard Rhythmical as he will start in the Daryl Braithwaite September 17 0-58 Handicap (1000m) in Alice Springs on Sunday.

He has a full book of rides on the seven-event program, which includes a ride aboard the Russell Bell-trained Wayanka in the $25,000 Pioneer Park Anniversary Cup (1600m).

The eight-year-old gelding was once a winner in Sydney and Melbourne, and despite posting seven wins from 32 starts since arriving in Central Australia three years ago Wayanka’s form line could best be described as inconsistent.

“He’s a funny horse – capable of anything, you don’t know what he’s going to do,” Fawke said.

Before heading south on Sunday morning, Fawke has seven rides on the seven-event program at Fannie Bay on Saturday.

He is set to ride the Angela Forster-trained Starouz in the $25,000 Adelaide River Cup (1600m), which was transferred to Fannie Bay after feral pigs ravaged the grassed surface at Adelaide River.

Starouz, who raced mainly in Victoria before arriving in Darwin late last year, is likely to start the Cup as favourite after two last start wins in open company in Alice Springs over 1400m and Tennant Creek over 1600m.

It took the six-year-old gelding a while to get going since arriving in the Northern Territory, but there are clear signs that he has finally clicked into gear.

“He hasn’t handled the Darwin track before, but if he handles the track now he should be right,” Fawke said.

“I think he will be a strong chance.

“It’s not a bad race, there’s a few horses there that are coming back.

“Obviously there’s the top weight Danon Roman, but he’ll probably need the run – you never know.”

After relocating to Queensland last year, Fawke heads back to South Australia after the Darwin Cup Carnival in early August to resume his partnership with Murray Bridge trainer John Hickmott.

It’s arguably one of the best Adelaide River Cup fields in years, but the fact trainers weren’t required to travel 100km down the Stuart Highway for the annual race meeting at Adelaide River has helped in that regard.

Most of the seven starters are giving their engine a fine tune with the Darwin Cup Carnival imminent.

Chris Nash’s Danon Roman, who finished second in the Darwin Cup (2050m) last year, returns to the Top End after a last start third in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on May 1.

Phil Cole’s Military Zone arrived in the NT with decent wraps, and hasn’t done much wrong in three starts finishing third in Alice Springs and second in Tennant Creek in open company over 1600m.

Cole’s other runner Brother Bassy, from NSW, steps up to the 1600m after three runs at Fannie Bay since April – a third over 1000m (0-70), a win over 1200m (0-64) and a third over 1300m (0-76).

Kym Hann’s Our Destrier, who is on a Darwin Cup campaign, makes his NT debut and had wins over the 1600m in Albury and Murray Bridge back in December and January.

Gary Clarke’s Mellors had a respectable CV in Victoria before heading to the NT where he has since finished third behind Starouz in Alice Springs before a last start second on debut in Darwin at 0-76 level over 1300m on May 21.

Mark Nyhan’s Jet Jackson, formerly of Victoria, has excelled in Darwin and Alice Springs since December with recent form also suggesting he could be more than just a sneaky chance.

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