It’s last chance saloon for owners and trainers in their quest to have a runner in Darwin’s two feature races.
Qualification for the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 7 and the $135,000 Palmerston Sprint on August 5 ends at Fannie Bay on Saturday – Day 5 of the Darwin Carnival.
The winner of the $50,000 Metric Mile (1600m) will seal a Cup start and the winner of the $32,000 Flying Sprint (1100m) lines up in the Palmerston – unless they have already qualified.
There are 21 Cup nominations and 23 Palmerston nominations with each race having 12 starters and three emergencies.
Those in the Metric Mile who have currently qualified for the Cup based on the ratings structure include Thought Of That, Siakam, Desert Lass, Sanblas and Kaonic.
Anphina and Lake’s Folly, respective winners of the NT Derby (2050m) and Buntine Handicap (2050m) last Saturday, are now exempt from the Cup ballot.
As it stands, Vallabar – third in last year’s Cup – He’s The Ultimate and Ironedge, who are lining up in the Metric Mile, are the three Cup emergencies.
Lethal Encounter is also in the Metric Mile, but like Vallabar, He’s The Ultimate and Ironedge he has to win on Saturday to get a start in the NT’s biggest race.
Noir De Rue, winner of the Chief Ministers Cup (1600m) two weeks ago, last year’s Darwin Guineas winner Wolfburn, who won the Bridge Toyota Cup (1600m) on July 19, Write Your Name, the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) winner, Grandslam, sent north by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, and Mohican Heights, formerly trained by Chris Waller, will next appear in the Cup.
Loveplanet and Hettinger, racing over 1600m (0-70) on Saturday, as well as other Cup nominations Grinzinger Bishop, second in last weekend’s NT Derby, Century Fox, winner of the NT Guineas (1600m) in Alice Springs in April, and Kippax will need the cards to fall their way to get a Cup start.
Kaonic was fourth in the 2021 Cup behind Highly Decorated before finishing second last year behind Playoffs, while Noir De Rue was third in the Cup two years ago before running fourth a year ago.
Last year’s Palmerston winner Syncline is looking to defend his title, while Group 1 winning star Savatoxl – third at weight-for-age over 1200m last Saturday – wasn’t nominated by Alice Springs trainer Will Savage.
Supreme Attraction, who has won five straight in Alice Springs, and Expert Witness finished one-two in the Red Centre’s Pioneer Sprint (1200m) in April, while Red Centre raider That’s Justified is heading to the Palmerston via the Metric Mile.
Nine-year-old gelding Masterati, a brilliant winner of last weekend’s WFA, is one of only three runners from last year’s Palmerston who looks like backing up next weekend – Syncline, the Top End’s horse of the year for 2022, and Ideas Man, who was the $4.60 favourite in 2022, are the other two.
Other current Palmerston qualifiers include Desert Dreamer, Shirshov, Cielo D’Oro, Cudjerie, City Regal and Influential Jack, while Mr Cashman, Vunivalu and El Magnificence are the three emergencies right now.
Rising Sphere, Early Crow, Mister Monaro and Change Is Coming, a first up Darwin winner over 1000m (0-58) by 10.5 lengths two weeks ago where he came close to breaking the track record, won’t miss the Palmerston if they win the Flying Sprint.
Cudjerie, returning from a spell, and City Regal, who has yet to race in the NT after arriving from WA, are currently Palmerston starters and will complete their preparations in the Flying Sprint.
Ankle Rolex, the one to beat in the $40,000 1200m race for the three-year-olds on Saturday, Star Magnum, Prince Of Mercia and Zou Der Zee are the other Palmerston nominations, but they’re unlikely to get a start.
Darwin Cup (2050m)
Horse Age/Sex Trainer Rating
Noir De Rue 8G (Jason Manning) 98
Grandslam 5G (Gary Clarke) 91
Mohican Heights 6G (Neil Dyer) 90
Thought Of That 6G (Gary Clarke) 88
Write Your Name 7G (Dick Leech) 84
Lake’s Folly 6G (Sheila Arnold) 81
Siakam 5G (Gary Clarke) 81
Desert Lass 6M (Carrol Hunter) 80
Sanblas 5G (Heather Lehmann) 79
Wolfburn 4G (Gary Clarke) 76
Kaonic 8G (Neil Dyer) 74
He’s The Ultimate 4G (Chloe Baxter) 73
Vallabar 7R (Gary Clarke) 71
Anphina 3M (Kerry Petrick) 69
Ironedge 5G (Ella Clarke) 69
Grinzinger Bishop 3G (Kym Healy) 68
Century Fox 3G (Dick Leech) 67
Lethal Encounter 5G (Dick Leech) 66
Loveplanet 5G (Gary Clarke) 66
Hettinger 4G (Neil Dyer) 65
Kippax 6G (Tayarn Halter) 55
Palmerston Sprint (1200m)
Horse Age/Sex Trainer Rating
Supreme Attraction 7G (Terry Gillett) 95
Syncline 6G (Gary Clarke) 88
That’s Justified 8G (Terry Gillett) 85
Expert Witness 4G (Tayarn Halter) 83
Masterati 9G (Nicole Irwin) 82
Desert Dreamer 6G (Gary Clarke) 78
Ideas Man 5G (Chris Nash) 78
Shirshov 4G (Gary Clarke) 76
Cielo D’Oro 6G (Phil Cole) 75
Cudjerie 4M (Chris Pollard) 75
City Regal 4G (Tayarn Halter) 74
Influential Jack 6G (Gary Clarke) 74
Mr Cashman 5G (Gary Clarke) 74
Vunivalu 7G (Phil Cole) 74
El Magnificence 8G (Phil Cole) 73
Star Magnum 5G (Phil Cole) 72
Rising Sphere 5G (Gary Clarke) 71
Early Crow 4G (Dick Leech) 70
Mister Monaro 6G (Mark Nyhan) 68
Ankle Rolex 3G (Patrick Johnston) 67
Prince Of Mercia 5G (Dick Leech) 65
Change Is Coming 3G (Gary Clarke) 61
Zou Der Zee 10G (Tayarn Halter) 53
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