The Neil Dyer-trained Bear Story is top-weight for the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) at Fannie Bay on Monday after being handed 61kg.
A six-year-old gelding by Kodiac, Bear Story has only had one Top End start when he blitzed his rivals by 4.3 lengths in the Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) at weight-for-age on July 13.
Victory guaranteed the former Irish galloper an automatic start in the NT’s biggest race and he is the $2.25 favourite with online bookmakers as Dyer eyes his fourth Cup.
The Kyneton-based trainer has already celebrated Cup victories with Hawks Bay (2011 and 2012) and Royal Request (2017).
A last start fourth over 1800m (BM100) at Sandown in May before heading to the NT, Bear Story had three wins in Ireland before debuting in Australia in March 2023 when 11th for Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
The gelding’s first win was over 1609m at Dundalk as a two-year-old in December 2020 before posting back to back wins at the track in the Group 3 Dubai Diamond Stakes (2149m) in September 2021 and 2022.
Bear Story also finished among the minor placings on eight occasions in 18 Irish starts.
Gary Clarke’s five-year-old gelding Wolfburn (56.5kg), third in last year’s Darwin Cup, has had four wins from five starts from 1200-1600m since returning from SA, including victory in the Metric Mile (1600m) by 2.5 lengths on Saturday.
Wolfburn, the son of Snitzel, is flying, but will need to find another gear after finishing second behind Bear Story in the Chief Minister’s Cup.
Victory in the Cup will also make it four wins for Clarke, Darwin’s leading trainer, following the success of Lightinthenite (2015), Zahspeed (2018) and Playoffs (2022).
Other winners of feature races leading up to the Darwin Cup include Wolfburn (ROANT Gold Cup), He’s Maverick (Darwin Guineas), Hettinger (Toyota Finance Cup), Masatora (NT Derby) and Hadouken (Buntine Handicap).
Kerry Petrick’s Venting won the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) in April.
Meanwhile, Chris Nash’s six-year-old gelding Ideas Man is top-weight for the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint (1200m) on Saturday after being assigned 61kg.
Ideas Man, the son of Brazen Beau, finished second behind Dick Leech’s Early Crow in the Palmerston last year and in 22 Fannie Bay starts from 1000-1200m his record stands at 22: 9-6-1.
In 11 Darwin starts since May 2023, Ideas Man has never missed the top four and he was a last start winner over 1100m (BM76) on July 17.
Early Crow, currently the $5 favourite, now trained by Chris Pollard, completed his Palmerston preparations on July 20 with a last start win over 1200m at weight-for-age.
Other likely Palmerston starters to taste success against quality opposition over the short course since May include Spaceship, Rising Sphere, Canton Kid, Kerioth and the in-form Star Magnum.
Terry Gillett’s Dakota Lee, who has won 10 races from as many starts in Alice Springs, makes her Fannie Bay debut, while Kym Healy’s Mathematics is unlikely to get a start despite winning the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in the Red Centre in April.
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