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Andrew O’Toole’s Saturday best at Tennant Creek (16/05)
Andrew O’Toole • May 14th, 2026 2:25 pm
Following a fantastic Alice Springs Cup Carnival which concluded just under a fortnight ago, racing returns to the lower part of the Northern Territory when the Barkly plays host to its annual Two Cups Raceday at Hagan Park, Tennant Creek, today. A six-race card has been assembled for the fixture, and with 45 acceptors, represents the best numbers for the meeting in ten years!
The main race of the day, the $35,000 Remote Concrete NT/Ladbrokes Tennant Creek Cup over 1600m, will be the last on the card and brings together a field headed by the last two Cup winners, Venting (2025) and Barocco Bar, who took out the event the previous year when trained by Dan Morgan. Now in the stable of Pat Johnston in Darwin, he will carry a light weight of 54kg and must be afforded a chance, although I am firmly in the camp of topweight Venting to go back-to-back in the feature.
Trained by Kerry Petrick, who was the leading conditioner through the five meetings of the AS Cup Carnival and sent out the Cup winner Magic Defense, Venting is closing in on the veteran stage now as a rising 8yo, but he continues to defy his age and the fact that he will be having his 61st career start in the Barkly today. The winner of 12 races, including the NT Derby in Darwin as a 3yo, he was down the track last time out in the AS Cup, finishing 10th of 12 and over 10 lengths in arrears of his stablemate.
However, prior to that unplaced effort, he had been in fine form, winning three starts back over 1600m before placing second over the same journey behind Wolfburn in the Chief Minister’s Cup on 25 April. He has drawn barrier eight here but that won’t worry him – he drew the outside in gate nine when scoring in the same race last year and as a previous course and distance winner, he makes plenty of appeal, even though burdened with the topweight of 59kg.
Stablemate The Girl’s Boy, who comes off a last-start win over 1400m in Alice on 2 May, looks hardest for his stablemate to beat. He has run twice previously at Tennant Creek and although yet to win, has raced creditably, finishing fourth and third over shorter trips. Although yet to win at 1600m, he has been placed twice from three attempts and Stan Tsaikos, who combined with Magic Defense to win the AS Cup 12 days ago, will have the steer.
Barocco Bar, as mentioned earlier, won the Cup here a couple of years ago and although his last-start seventh in Darwin looks pretty ordinary on paper, he was only beaten 5.7 lengths over 1300m and will relish the return to this surface and the extra distance. Wayne Davis travels from the Top End to take the mount on the 6yo son of Epaulette, who can make his presence felt here.
Grinzinger Bishop, from the stable of Kym Healy who has no less than 15 horses engaged for the meeting, raced well during the AS Cup Carnival without winning. His last-start Cup fifth placing was a first-class effort, and his previous two second placings to Maxxi Bon and Magic Defense were similarly impressive. Raymond Vigar will be aboard as he was two starts back, and the son of Almanzor adds further to an intriguing contest.
Miracoli does not win out of turn but is very consistent and rates a chance in this line-up, while last-start winner Figo The Great, who scored over 2000m on AS Cup Day, cannot be left out of calculations either. Hannah Le Blanc makes her first visit to the Barkly and takes the mount for Healy, who is also represented by Equal Balance, who would need to improve to figure in the finish. Altar Boy, on his best form, would give this a shake, but he has been disappointing lately and others are preferred.
The day’s other feature is the $30,000 Little Rippers Denis Staunton Memorial Cup over 1200m, and Healy holds a strong hand with Pompeii Empire, Real Valentia and Limited Risk his three representatives in the eight-horse field.
Pompeii Empire was in red hot form during the AS Carnival, winning on 18 April and being placed second on his only other two starts behind Verbosity and then on Cup Day, he chased home the smart Arizona Activist. That latest run, in particular, was excellent and back up to 1200m here from that 1000m assignment, he makes plenty of appeal.
Topweight Real Valentia won twice in Alice and comes here off the back of a fourth to Arizona Activist, and will give this a real shake, while Throw At Da Stumps won this race last year at his only start on the track and by virtue of that fact alone, rates highly in this. His latest form in Alice has been not too bad, including a last-start second to Bahama Bay in the Magic Millions Classic on AS Cup Day.
Limited Risk should not be discounted as he was in good form in the Red Centre during the Carnival, while Verbosity, Zestiman and Frawley are others with claims.
The weather in Tennant Creek this week has been mostly fine although there was a light shower on Monday and a possibility of similar today. The official forecast for today reads: Partly cloudy. High chance of showers. Light winds becoming northeasterly 15 to 20 km/h during the morning then becoming light during the day. The temperature is forecast to reach 29 degrees during the day, and it will be 20 degrees overnight. There is a 70% chance of 0-4mm of rain.
The first race on the six-race card gets underway at 1.32pm (NT time), which is 2.02pm on the eastern seaboard, while the last is timed to go at 4.32pm (NT time), or 5.02pm in New South Wales and Victoria.
BEST BETS
R4 # 7 TAIPAN TOMMYReturns to the scene of his 2023 Tennant Creek Cup win after racing fairly during the AS Cup Carnival. Has had two starts in the Barkly for that Cup win and also finished third in the same event, although well beaten, behind Venting and Supreme Attraction last year. Although now a 10yo, he still retains his share of ability and Tennant Creek is a real “horses for courses” circuit. Can figure in the finish here.
R5 # 2 POMPEII EMPIREHas been in tremendous form in the Red Centre recently, with a win and two seconds in stronger line-ups than he meets here. Chased home the impressive Arizona Activist over 1000m on Cup Day (4 May) and steps up to a more suitable 1200m distance here. Has won six times at the trip and will have the services of Raymond Vigar for this assignment. Looks the one to beat for trainer Kym Healy.
R6 # 1 VENTINGGrand galloper who bolted in in this race 12 months ago. Kerry Petrick’s 7yo son of Star Witness failed last time out in the AS Cup, a race he had won two years previously, but is always a live chance in these country Cups, having won the Katherine Cup as well two years ago. Ianish Luximon takes the reins this time in place of the suspended Lek Maloney and the topweight looks a good bet to register back-to-back Tennant Creek Cup victories.
SELECTIONS
RACE 1 – 3, 4, 1, 5RACE 2 – 4, 2, 1, 5RACE 3 – 3, 6, 4, 5RACE 4 – 7, 4, 1, 6RACE 5 – 2, 1, 6, 5RACE 6 – 1, 3, 8, 4
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