There are just three meetings scheduled in the Northern Territory for the rest of May, but the action will pick up in June.
There will be weekly racing from June 1 starting at Alice Springs before the 2023/24 season ends with the Fannie Bay meeting on July 31, which is Day 6 of the Darwin Cup Carnival.
The Darwin Turf Club hosts two Saturday meetings, on May 11 and May 25, while the annual Tennant Creek Cup meeting at Hagan Park is set for May 18.
From June 8 to July 31 there will be 10 meetings in Darwin, with Cup Carnival starting July 6.
Two of the eight meetings during Cup Carnival are also scheduled for Wednesday on July 17 and July 31.
Palmerston Sprint Day is August 3, with Darwin Cup Day on August 5.
The Alice Springs Turf Club will host five meetings at Pioneer Park from June 1 to July 28.
That means 12 meetings remain in the Top End this season, while six meetings remain in the Red Centre.
The Adelaide River Cup meeting, which has fallen victim to animals and the elements for the past two years, has been switched from early June to August 31.
The 2018 meeting was abandoned after two races due to the state of the surface — the only grass track in the NT — following wet season rains, while there was no meeting in 2020 due to COVID.
Feral pigs damaged the Adelaide River track in 2022 and wet season rains once again made it impossible to prepare the track last year, so both meetings took place 100km up the road in Darwin.
Meanwhile, trainer Gary Clarke and jockey Jarrod Todd are in good shape in the Top End racing premierships.
With 43 wins, Clarke — winner of the trainers’ title for the past 11 years — leads the way from Phil Cole (21), who is seeking his first premiership.
Todd (37), the leading jockey in the Top End for the past four years, holds sway from apprentice Emma Lines (20).
In Alice Springs, Paul Gardner (19) and Kerry Petrick (18.5) lead the way in search of their first premiership, with Terry Gillett (16), Greg Connor (15), Ray Viney (15), Dan Morgan (14) and Lisa Whittle (14) in the mix.
Paul Denton (19), a two-time winner of the Red Centre jockeys’ premiership, leads Jessie Philpot (15) and defending champion Sonja Logan (14.5).
“It’s rather quiet right now since the Alice Springs Cup Carnival was moved forward a month,” Thoroughbred Racing NT chief executive officer Andrew O’Toole said.
“There were mixed views to the rescheduling of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival and the Adelaide River Cup, but on a positive note, horses will be fresh for the Darwin Cup Carnival.
“It will be good to see Cup Day return at Adelaide River, and although Gary (Clarke) and Jarrod (Todd) look like defending their Top End titles, it should be an exciting end to the season in the Red Centre.”
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