He has yet to win a race in Darwin, but Group 1 winning jockey Noel Callow is hoping for better fortune during the forthcoming Cup Carnival.
Callow, based on the Gold Coast these days, has agreed to ride for Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer for the duration of the Carnival, which comprises eight meetings from July 6 to August 5.
The pair have a history, with Callow riding for Dyer in Victoria as far back as 20 years ago and as recently as three years ago before Callow relocated to Queensland.
“I’ve known Neil for a while, a long time actually, and I’ve ridden numerous winners for him,” Callow said.
“I respect him, he called me up and asked if I would come and ride for him.
“He’s got 22 horses up there, so yeah, I’ll go up and have a go.
“I will ride on July 6 – Darwin Guineas Day – and I will be there until Cup Day.
“I’ve been there twice, it’s a great carnival, and I enjoyed my time up there.
“I rode Wild Heart, trained by Graeme Rogerson, in the Derby in 2003, and it ran second.
“I then got suspended and couldn’t ride on Palmerston Sprint Day, but I could ride on Cup Day, but I headed back to Melbourne.
“Wild Heart won the Darwin Cup; Chris Munce rode it.”
Callow’s other Fannie Bay appearance was the Palmerston Sprint and Darwin Cup weekend in 2012.
In a career that has expanded more than 30 years, Callow partnered Benicio to win the 2005 Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) and Apache Cat en route to victory in the 2006 Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m).
He has also ridden in New Zealand, Mauritius and a host of Asian countries, and rates his success aboard the Laurie Laxon’s Top Spin in the 2008 Singapore Derby as his biggest win.
New Zealand Hall of Fame trainer Laxon, who also won multiple Singapore training premierships, trained Empire Rose to victory in the 1988 Melbourne Cup.
“Laurie passed away in 2021 and to this day he is the best trainer I ever rode for, he was a star,” Callow said.
Callow, who has ridden for the top Australian trainers and boasts 1961 career wins, hopes to follow in the footsteps of his daughter and apprentice, Stacey, when he returns to Darwin.
Stacey, also based on the Gold Coast, saluted at Fannie Bay in April 2022 aboard Looking For You for trainer Phil Cole.
Meanwhile, Dyer has won 100 races at Fannie Bay since making his first trip north in 2008 – he has won three Darwin Cup’s with Hawks Bay (2011 and 2012) and Royal Request (2017).
The Victorian trainer missed the 2020 Carnival because of COVID.
“Noel and I know each other pretty well,” Dyer said.
“Apart from Hettinger, I’m hoping to start Bear Story and The Claimant in the Cup.
“Bear Story, he’s a 90 rater, a European horse that Clinton McDonald trained in Victoria.
“We’re going to try and make The Claimant, who we purchased from Victorian trainer Michael Kent, a Cup horse too.”
“Both horses arrived in Darwin on Tuesday.”
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