Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer could nominate four horses for the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) at Fannie Bay on August 5.
While it is unlikely he will have four runners, Dyer is every chance of winning the race a fourth time.
That’s after six-year-old gelding Bear Storey overwhelmed his rivals by 4.3 lengths in the weight-for-age Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) last Saturday.
Dyer will be aiming to claim his second feature of the 2024 Darwin Cup Carnival on Wednesday when Hettinger lines up in the $50,000 Toyota Finance Cup (1600m) at 0-76 level.
The five-year-old gelding had two wins in the Red Centre in March before finishing 3.4 lengths adrift in fourth place behind Venting in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) at Pioneer Park on April 7.
The son of I Am Invincible made his Top End return in late June when fifth behind Wolfburn in the ROANT Gold Cup (1300m), but Dyer was unfazed by that result.
“He’s never won under 1400m for us, he ran fifth in the ROANT — beaten 3.4 lengths — and was three wide the whole way without cover,” he told HorseBetting.com.au.
“He did a fantastic job — it will be interesting to see him step up to the 1600m because we class him as a miler, not a 1300 or 1400m horse.
“We’re expecting a very good showing on Wednesday.”
The Claimant and Ziggi Rocks look set to start in the Buntine Handicap (1900m) this Saturday, with the winner automatically qualifying for the Darwin Cup.
“The Claimant (third), who was with trainer Michael Kent, met Hettinger (sixth) at Moonee Valley in March in a 1600m race won by Danny O’Brien’s star mare Sea What I See,” Dyer said.
“The Claimant was beaten a length, while Hettinger was a further four lengths adrift.”
In his one and only start in Darwin two Saturdays ago, The Claimant was sixth over 1300m in 0-76 company behind the Pink Panther.
Meanwhile, Dyer was still in a buoyant mood following Bear Storey’s performance in the Chief Minister’s Cup.
“We were curious to see what he was going to do first start on the track and were very happy the way he went,” he said.
“We just wanted to see him produce a good run where he was hitting the line and gobbling up the ground like he was looking for more distance.
“He had a beautiful run in transit, Noel (Callow) rode him very well and the horse finished off accordingly.
“Bear Storey won’t be having another start until the Darwin Cup.
“I must compliment my son James as he sourced a Darwin Cup horse for a while before finding Bear Storey for his current owners.
“He’s just a natural European stayer, it’s written all over him.”
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