With three winners and four placings from his past 15 runners, Toowoomba trainer Lindsay Hatch will look to extend his strong run of form as the Cairns carnival kicks off 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 set to be a key player in at least two of those races.

He will saddle up Baby Guiness in the Belle Of The Daintree, with the Heroic Valour mare boasting an impressive record over the trip—five wins and two seconds from just nine starts. Despite drawing second from the outside, Hatch is buoyed by a key jockey booking.

“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.”

In the Lightning Open, Hatch backs up last-start winner Russian Mint, sticking with apprentice jockey Leah Martyn despite her inability to claim in the race. The Russian Revolution gelding was dominant at Townsville last time and will start from the rails draw.

“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 in the day, Hatch has Jungle Juice engaged in the Class 1 Plate, again partnering with Martyn. “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.

If you’re planning to have a punt on the Belle Of The Daintree or Lightning Open, check out the best odds and offers from Australia’s leading betting sites.