Dyer’s Bear Story & Clarke’s Wolfburn set for Darwin Cup battle

Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer is eyeing his fourth Darwin Cup (2050m) on Monday with former Irish gelding Bear Story, but champion Top End trainer Gary Clarke stands in his way.

Bear Story is the $2.30 favourite with online bookmakers following his slashing first up win at Fannie Bay in the weight-for-age Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) on July 13 when he not only won by 4.3 lengths, but also broke the track record (1.33.95).

The Chief Minister’s Cup has always been a good guide when assessing the Darwin Cup with 10 horses achieving the double since 2000.

Clarke’s Wolfburn, the Cup’s $3.80 second-elect, has impressed since returning from Phillip Stokes’ Morphettville stable for a third Cup Carnival with the former Darwin Guineas winner saluting four times from five starts.

He won the ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) before a last start win in the Metric Mile (1600m) – he was second in the Chief Minister’s.

Wolfburn, a six-year-old gelding, and Bear Story, a seven-year-old gelding, carried 59kg when they first met, but Clarke’s horse has 56.5kg and Dyer’s horse has 61kg come Monday.

That perhaps gives Clarke hope as Wolfburn boasts eight wins and four minor placings from 14 Fannie Bay starts – the son of Snitzel was second in the 2022 NT Derby (2050m) and third in last year’s Darwin Cup.

However, Dyer has every right to be optimistic as Bear Story – the son of Kodiac – managed three wins (synthetic surface) and nine minor placings from 18 starts in Ireland.

After winning the Group 3 Dubai Diamond Stakes (2149m) at Dundalk in 2022, Bear Story repeated the dose a year later – it was a Listed race in 2023 – in his final Irish start.
In eight Victorian starts for Cranbourne trainer Clinton McDonald, Bear Story’s best result was a fourth over 1800m (BM100) at Sandown in May.

He was 11th in the Blamey Stakes (1600m) and 14th in the Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington in March 2023 before coming 11th in the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield last September.

Understandably, Dyer was extremely happy with Bear Story’s debut on Fannie Bay’s dirt surface – following a 900m trial – adding that it was clear he was looking for more ground.

Dyer, who made his first trip to the Top End in 2008 and only missed the 2020 Carnival because of Covid, has celebrated Darwin Cup success with Hawks Bay (2011 and 2012) and Royal Request.

Clarke, the winning Darwin Cup jockey in 2000 aboard Steve Paynter’s Star Bullet, has won the race as a trainer with Lightinthenite, Zahspeed and Playoffs.

After winning the Top End and Country’s trainers’ premiership for a 12th straight year, Clarke will also start Playoffs and NT Derby winner Masatora on Monday.

Bear Story and Wolfburn have good gates and will be partnered by Group 1 winning jockey Noel Callow and the Top End and Country’s five-time premiership winner jockey Jarrod Todd.