Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch has been in hot form recently, landing three winners and four placings from his last 15 starters, and he’s eager to keep the momentum going as the Cairns carnival gets underway this weekend.

The nine-race program features the $50,000 Belle Of The Daintree, the $50,000 Lightning Open, and the $40,000 Amateur Cup, with Hatch poised to have a strong presence in two of the key races.

In the Belle Of The Daintree, Hatch will saddle up Baby Guiness, a Heroic Valour mare with an excellent record over the trip — five wins and two seconds from nine starts. Despite drawing second from the outside, he’s confident the booking of Justin Huxtable will prove invaluable.

“She’s done very well since the last run and she’s not big, but she does carry weight,” Hatch said. “She’s been a very good money spinner for us and the booking of (Justin) Huxtable is going to mean lengths to her. She just needs a bit of luck getting across from the outside alley.”

Russian Mint, a last-start winner at Townsville, lines up in the Lightning Open, with Hatch opting to stick with apprentice Leah Martyn despite her being unable to claim. From the rails draw, he’s expecting another strong showing.

“I wanted to book Huxtable last start but he never got his weight down so I booked Leah,” Hatch said. “She rode him last start and did nothing wrong and he will be very hard to beat from the rails draw.”

Earlier, Hatch will send out Jungle Juice in the Class 1 Plate, again with Martyn aboard. “His run was outstanding last start at Townsville and he goes to the 1200m and gets a weight advantage with Leah’s 3kg off,” Hatch said. “He gets in well at the weights and he’s going to be very competitive.”

The Cairns carnival continues next week with the Newmarket on August 22 and the Cairns Cup on August 23.

Punters eyeing the Belle Of The Daintree or Lightning Open can explore the best odds and bonuses at leading betting sites.