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Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Darwin (18/07)
Andrew O’Toole • July 16th, 2026 5:43 pm
Day 4 of the 2026 Great Northern Darwin Cup Carnival, Ladbrokes NT Derby Day, is always a highlight on the Top End racing calendar, and today’s bumper nine-race card is no exception.
Apart from the main event, the $150,000 Ladbrokes NT Derby for the 3yos over 2050m, there is an outstanding support card featuring the BTC Constructions Buntine Handicap, which like the Derby, affords the winner automatic inclusion in the field for the $220,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup on 3 August, and the Aspire Weight-For-Age, the winner of which is guaranteed a start in the $150,000 bet365 Palmerston Sprint on 1 August.
The meeting was originally scheduled to have eight races, however, the 0-62 1300m was divided due to 24 nominations being received.
The Derby has attracted a full field of 12 acceptors, and it is impossible to go past the certain favourite Leveraged Buyout when assessing the main chances in the event.
Dick Leech, who will be looking to add the Derby to Leveraged Buyout’s Guineas win of a fortnight ago – he also won the AS Guineas during the recent Cup Carnival in the Red Centre – has yet to taste success in the Blue Riband for three-year-olds, but looks to have a candidate more than capable of completing the Ladbrokes Darwin Double and collecting the $50,000 bonus for the horse which can collect the brace of second-season features.
Leveraged Buyout, a son of Dundeel and the Pivotal mare Rosental, certainly has all the hallmarks required to win at the extended trip of 2050m. Following his Guineas win in Alice, he finished second over a similar 1600m behind Rock Revolution two days before an enormous effort which resulted in a close-up second placing to Magic Defense in the AS Cup (2000m). The latter franked the form just a week ago with a tough victory over a top field in the AUFS Chief Minister’s Cup, and Leveraged Buyout ran her to just 0.4 of a length in the Red Centre.
Former Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson will retain the mount on Leveraged Buyout after guiding him to an almost five-length win in the Guineas, which gave the young rider her second success in the feature after winning aboard Vanguard Legend 12 months ago. She will be looking to go one better than her Derby placing aboard the same horse in 2025, and in Leveraged Buyout, she will receive an undeniable chance of picking up her first Derby.
Hardest for Leveraged Buyout to beat should be Maldini, trained by two-time Derby-winning trainer Gary Clarke. Maldini, who will again have the services of last year’s Derby-winning rider Jason Lyon, was a solid third in the Guineas, hitting the line strongly and looking as though a longer trip would be ideal for the son of Too Darn Hot. He had not been in the Top End long when he performed so well in the Guineas, and should be improved for that effort and give the favourite plenty of opposition.
Hopeless Romantic, trained by another two-time Derby-winning trainer in Neil Dyer, was a decent fifth in the Guineas after appearing to have every chance. The son of Hellbent is only lightly-raced, and today’s race will be just his fifth, but he looks a young horse with plenty of upside. Billy Cray, the journeyman NSW jockey, will have his first ride aboard Hopeless Romantic but from the inside gate, he should get all favours in the run.
Crazy Town, trained by the in-form Chris Nash and with an equally in-form rider in Richard Bensley in the saddle, could be one for longer odds. He has failed to trouble the judge in two runs in the Top End so far and after being slowly into stride in the Guineas, he was never a factor. However, Nash trialled the horse last Tuesday and he jumped better, and as long as he gets away with the field this time, he could surprise from a nice gate of three.
Garrix, who has won his last two starts, the most recent over 1600m here on 4 July, Grinzinger Tundra, second in the same race, Rivers Of Babylon, who has yet to go a bad race in Darwin, and Beachbarbeckons, who made ground from well back to take sixth in the Guineas, are others with claims but it certainly looks a race tailor-made for Leveraged Buyout.
Maxxi Bon, Ichiban, Prince Jofra and company will all be doing their best in the Buntine (2050m), with the winner gaining a golden ticket into the Darwin Cup, while the Aspire WFA is a tremendous field, with the likes of Balastier, Boldinho, three-time Palmerston Sprint winner Early Crow, Cinque Torri, Rewards And More and Wallenda, among others, looking to cement their place in the Palmerston.
The weather in Darwin this week has been nice and fine, although there has been some early-morning cloud which has taken a while to burn off. The official forecast for today reads: Sunny. Light winds becoming east to southeasterly 15 to 25 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the afternoon. The temperature is forecast to reach a lovely 31 degrees, while it will be a slightly cooler than usual 18 degrees overnight. There is no chance of any rain.
The first race on the bumper nine-race card gets underway at 12.33pm (NT time), which is 1.03pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 5.22pm (NT time), or 5.52pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R1 # 2 VIERIHas been racing in better company than this lately including when a solid-finishing fifth to stablemate Rematch in the Rydges Palmerston Cup on Ladies Day (8 July). Is a three-time winner at this trip from ten starts, and although drawn the outside gate, with just six rivals that should not prove too much of an impediment. Trainer/rider combination going well so far during the Carnival and looks hard to beat in the opener.
R7 # 2 RUNAWAY TYCOONTalented 4yo who has won his last two in good style, one over this trip of 1100m and then last time out over 1200m in 0-66 grade on 27 June. Needs to keep winning if he is to force a run in the Palmerston Sprint on 1 August, and the Ella Clarke-trained son of Written Tycoon certainly looks a young horse going places. Jarrod Todd has the steer and looks a top chance in this 0-70 sprint.
R9 # 7 LEVERAGED BUYOUTCould not have been more impressive when winning the Guineas here a fortnight ago over 1600m, and the step up to 2050m here will be right up his alley. Ran second in the AS Cup (2000m) against the older horses and the Dick Leech-trained son of Dundeel looks the testing material among his own age group. Jade Hampson retains the mount and with even luck, he should be winning and taking out the Ladbrokes Darwin Double for winning the Guineas and the Derby.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 2, 6, 4, 7RACE 2 – 3, 8, 2, 4RACE 3 – 4, 1, 2, 7RACE 4 – 3, 2, 5, 1RACE 5 – 1, 2, 6, 3RACE 6 – 1, 9, 6, 8RACE 7 – 2, 4, 1, 6RACE 8 – 4, 2, 3, 5RACE 9 – 7, 8, 6, 3
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