Last season's star three-year-old Mahaffey Road makes his long-awaited return to Fannie Bay this afternoon.
Mahaffey Road, who won four on the trot including the Darwin Guineas, will be joined on the comeback trail by stablemate Bankers Lamp, who was undefeated in his only three Top End runs.
Gary Clarke, who has the best strike-rate of any trainer in the Territory, is looking forward to seeing what Mahaffey Road can produce at his first-up run.
"We'll just get a gauge on where he's going to go, whether he's come back better or he's not up to it," Clarke said.
"He's been ready for a while but because of his rating, there hasn't been any races I could run him in.
"He's just in that in-between area.
"He's only ever raced against three-year-olds, so it will be a big test for him."
Mahaffey Road, to be ridden by Richie Oakford, is rated a $3.50 chance in early markets behind David Bates' galloper Rogue Warrior.
Bankers Lamp won his three Territory starts by a combined 18 lengths last year, but Clarke does not have him fully wound up for today's race.
"He's probably not 100 per cent ready for it yet," he said.
"I would've liked another couple of weeks.
"But the race is there for him, so we'll put Bankers Lamp out there now and see how he goes."
The 2kg claim for apprentice Simon Montgomerie will help Bankers Lamp, who is on the third line of betting behind Gilbeau and Gallium.
Clarke has just returned from Alice Springs after just missing out on claiming the Pioneer Sprint with talented Hidden Surprise.
His gun speedster will have a short break before being set for the Top End's main short-course race, the Palmerston Sprint.
Story courtesy of Tom Biddington, NT News
