The Northern Territory news Sat 25 Feb 2012
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2012-02-25
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
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Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/238940
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/629104
50 NT NEWS. Saturday, February 25, 2012. www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 2 5 -F E B -2 0 1 2 P A G E : 5 0 C O L O R : C M Y K SPORT l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l ntnews.com.au No love for Sepoy in Plate PUNTERS have sent Sepoy a clear Oakleigh Plate message youre good, but youre no Black Caviar. The champion colt was yesterday deposed in some markets as favourite for todays famous sprint by upand-coming star Bel Sprinter. Sepoy, winner of 10 of his 11 starts and regarded as inferior only to Black Caviar over a sprint trip, blew out from $2 out to $3.70with Sportingbet. Hewill carry 58kg, while Bel Sprinter, with 54kg, was crunched into $3.20. Aim to get Bullet flying BLINKERSwill go back onmultiple Group 1winner Snipers Bullet in a bid to ride himmore aggressively in todays Apollo Stakes at Rosehill. Snipers Bullet got out of his ground from awide gate in the Expressway Stakes (1200m) andmade little impression in a race dominated by Rain Affair, who is odds-on favourite to land his ninth consecutivewin in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m). Snipers Bullet will be ridden by Kathy OHara. Rea tops Superbikes times BRITISHHonda rider Jonathan Rea had the fastest time in yesterdays qualifying for the first round of theWorld Superbike Championship at Phillip Island. Four months of training in Australia paid off as Rea posted a lap of 1min 31.959secs to upstage Ducatis Czech rider Jakub Smrz by just 0.157 seconds. Italian Davide Giuglianowas the surprise in third place on the provisional grid ahead of Ducati teammate and defendingworld champion Carlos Checa. Webber toughest MERCEDES driver Nico Rosberg says Mark Webber was a tougher teammate than Michael Schumacher has been. Rosberg made his Formula One debut alongside Webber at Williams in 2006 and has partnered Schumacher at Mercedes for the past two years. In his four tough years at Williams, he also drove alongside compatriot Alex Wurz and Japans Kazuki Nakajima. Mercedes was formed after the championshipwinning Brawn team was disbanded at the end of 2009 with Rosberg leaving Williams to join the outfit and Schumacher coming out of retirement. Asked by Germanys Sport Bild who his toughest teammate has been, Rosberg was unequivocal: Mark Webber in 2006, then Michael. Meanwhile, Webber has completed a full race simulation in the 2012 Red Bull car during testing in Spain. Webber was optimistic about the RB8s potential ahead of next months Australian Grand Prix. All in all, it wasnt a bad day at all, Webber said. Not the smoothest of mornings and we didnt get too many laps done there but, in the afternoon, the race simulation went OK. Were still learning plenty. Territorian at Bathurst FORMER Top End driver Carl Oberhauser will feature in a historic 12-hour endurance race at Bathurst this weekend. Oberhauser will team up with Production Car stalwart Allan Shephard, who will compete in his sixth consecutive 12-hour race at Mount Panorama, tomorrow. Shephard will become the only driver to have started every 12-hour since the events return to the Australian motorsport landscape in 2007. He will again drive the reliable and stealthily competitive BMW this year and will drive with Kean Booker and Oberhauser in the Production (Performance) class. Plenty of familiar V8 Supercars faces will be among the entrants, including TeamVodafone star Craig Lowndes (Phoenix Racing Audi R8), Jim Beam Racings Steven Johnson, two-time Bathurst winner Steven Richards (Porsche 996 GT3), and Stone Brothers Racings Tim Slade (Mercedes SLS AMGs). Hayes likes Choice Top trainer confident of chances in Blue Diamond The David Hayes-trained filly Mamas Choice is a contender in todays $1 million Blue Diamond (1200m) at Caulfield HORSERACING DAVID Hayes believes Mamas Choice and General Rippa give him two worthy contenders as he tries to extend his Blue Diamond record to six successes in todays $1 million two-year-old feature at Caulfield. Hayes likes Mamas Choice, a daughter of the 1999 winner Redoutes Choice, who came from last to win the Chairmans Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield at her debut on February 4. Dwayne Dunn, the equal record holder in the Diamond with Roy Higgins with four wins, will ride Mamas Choice, while Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) winner General Rippa will be handled by Territory export Steven Arnold. Hayes also has second emergency Mrs Gray, to be ridden by Luke Nolen if she gains a run. Shes got a stride like Miss Finland had. Shes not as big as Miss Finland and she may never be as good, Hayes said of Mamas Choice. But I think she can run a similar race to Miss Finland and be right in the finish. Miss Finland ran second to stablemate Nadeem in the 2006 Blue Diamond. What I like is she relaxes she saves her best for race day, Hayes added. Hayes also has a good opinion of General Nediym gelding General Rippa. I think Mamas Choice may have the edge on him in the Diamond but long-term I think hell be the best, he said. Hes very green and I know how much improvement he has got in him. The short-priced favourite for the Blue Diamond is Samaready. The Mick Pricetrained More Than Ready filly, unbeaten in two starts, was very impressive in winning the Fillies Prelude (1100m) by 3 lengths at Caulfield. In the past decade, only three favourites have won the race Bel Esprit, Alinghi and Sepoy. Far Horizons grabs gutsy place Far Horizons finished second behind Kulgrinda last night TOP End sprinter Far Horizons finished an impressive second behind smart mare Kulgrinda in last nights heat of the Essendon Mazda 55 Second Challenge (955m) at Moonee Valley. Given a lovely railshugging ride from barrier one by leading Darwin jockey Scott Hillebrand, the eight year-old belied his $81 quote to finish two lengths from Kulgrinda, who stopped the clock in a slick 55.48 seconds. It was a gutsy effort by the former Palmerston Sprint champion considering Kulgrinda boasts form around Bel Sprinter, who is one of the key chances in todays Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield. Far Horizons added an other $10,650 to his career prizemoney, which now stands at $444,330 from 46 career starts. Territory punters who stuck solid with Far Horizons would have been pleased as he paid $10.90 for the place on TattsBet. GREGORMACTAGGART