Darwin Cup, Palmerston Sprint fields taking shape
Qualification is over and the fields for the Darwin Cup (2050m) and Palmerston Sprint (1200m) are starting to take shape.
The two feature races will draw the curtain on the Darwin Cup Carnival with the $135,000 Palmerston on Saturday and the $200,000 Cup on Monday at Fannie Bay.
Both races will accommodate 12 starters, as well as three emergencies, and when the weights were declared earlier this week, 21 horses remained in the Cup with 23 horse vying for a start in the Palmerston.
The final races in the qualification process occurred last Saturday.
Chloe Baxter’s He’s The Ultimate sealed a spot in the Cup, the NT’s biggest race, with victory in the $50,000 Metric Mile (1600m), while Dick Leech’s Early Crow booked his ticket in the Palmerston, the NT’s biggest event for the sprinters, by taking out the $32,000 Flying Sprint (1100m).
The handicapper didn’t miss the Jason Manning-trained Noir De Rue, an emphatic winner of the ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) and Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m), as he is top weight in the Darwin Cup with 62kg.
ROANT Gold Cup replay – Noir De Rue
Noir De Rue, the early $4 favourite with online bookmakers, finished third in the race in 2021 before coming fourth 12 months ago.
Leech’s Alice Springs Cup (2000m) winner Write Your Name, Carrol Hunter’s Alice Springs runner-up Desert Lass, Kerry Petrick’s NT Derby (2050m) winner Anphina, Sheila Arnold’s Buntine Handicap (2050m) winner Lake’s Folly, and former NT Derby winner Sanblas from the stable of SA trainer Heather Lehmann are expected to start.
At this stage, leading Top End trainer Gary Clarke, the 2022 Cup winner with Playoffs, looks like having four runners – Grandslam, Thought Of That, Siakam and Wolfburn.
A lot can happen between now and Monday once final acceptances are declared, but there’s every chance Kaonic from the stable of Victoria’s Neil Dyer – a three-time winner of the Cup – could miss the big race despite coming fourth in 2021 and second last year.
Kaonic is currently the 13th qualifier, while Clarke’s Vallabar – third in the 2022 Cup – is 14th.
As it stands, Ella Clarke’s impressive Ironedge, who chased He’s The Ultimate home in the Metric Mile, may end up as the third Cup emergency.
The Terry Gillett-trained Supreme Attraction boasts the highest rating for the Palmerston and will carry 60kg as top weight despite having not raced at Fannie Bay in two years.
Supreme Attraction is a different horse these days and has returned to the Top End following five straight wins in Alice Springs, which started off with victory in the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in April when he carried 54.5kg.
Tayarn Halter’s Expert Witness, who was pipped at the post in the Pioneer, is the early $5.50 Palmerston favourite from Supreme Attraction ($6).
Clarke’s Syncline, last year’s Palmerston winner and Top End Horse of the Year, is backing up for another crack at the race despite producing moderate form during the 2023 Cup Carnival.
That the Palmerston is a $5.50 field is no surprise as Early Crow, Nicole Irwin’s Masterati, Clarke’s Desert Dreamer, Phil Cole’s Cielo D’Oro and Chris Nash’s Ideas Man are seemingly peaking at the right time of year and the subsequent barrier draw is crucial.
Clarke could have five runners in the Palmerston with Shirshov, Mr Cashman and Influential Jack also qualifying.