With a withering burst of speed, Noir De Rue produced a spectacular late finish to win the $30,000 ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) at Fannie Bay on Saturday.
In a performance that mirrored Kiwi in the 1983 Melbourne Cup, the Jason Manning-trained gelding enhanced his Darwin Cup (2050m) prospects with a breathtaking victory.
Easily 15 lengths adrift in last place along the back straight in the 10-horse field, Noir De Rue (Vanessa Arnott) was on the move along the rails at the 500m, but was still spotting the leader eight lengths.
The Nicole Irwin-trained Masterati (Stan Tsaikos), who won the corresponding race last year, had basically led from the outset and although the challengers threatened once turning for home he still led by two lengths at the 300m.
The Gary Clarke-trained pair Siakam (Paul Denton) and Wolfburn (Jarrod Todd) – both last start winners – had every opportunity, but neither could bridge the gap.
Noir De Rue ($7.50), seventh at the 400m approaching the final bend, was sixth at the 200m and was still four lengths adrift of Masterati – seemingly no chance.
Getting off the fence, Noir De Rue exploded in the final 100m and incredibly caught Masterati ($19) in the shadows of the post to win by 0.61 lengths with Siakam ($7) 0.82 lengths away in third place from Wolfburn ($1.80 fav).
It was one of the more outstanding wins at the Darwin Turf Club, especially as it was one of the best ROANT Gold Cup fields in years, with the former WA galloper lumping 62.5kg in his first start since March 4.
After finishing fourth in last year’s Darwin Cup behind Playoffs, Noir De Rue – third in the 2021 Darwin Cup behind Highly Decorated – raced twice in November winning by 6.3 lengths in open company over 1300m with 59kg on his back after giving the leaders a fair start before winning by 1.8 lengths over 1600m (BM76) carrying 63.5kg.
Finishing half a length adrift of Poupee over 1300m (BM76) in March with a 64kg impost was respectable, but what the eight-year-old – with a 92 rating – produced on Saturday was out of this world.
No wonder Noir De Rue received a kiss from Manning and a hug from Arnott after the race – Manning and Arnott are also partners and it would arguably be their most memorable victory.
The horse, who has now won 12 races from 69 starts from 1200-2200m – which includes 22 minor placings – usually runs well first up with his first of four wins from 10 starts for Manning in the Top End occurring on debut in open class over 1200m in June 2021.
He then finished fourth in the Chief Ministers Cup (1600m) behind Highly Decorated before coming third to the same horse in the Darwin Cup.
Noir De Rue, placed in four other Fannie Bay races, spent September 2021-May 2022 in South Australia and in seven starts finished second over 1250m (BM86) and 1550m (BM82) at Morphettville Parks and 1300m (BM78) at Morphettville.
Returning to Darwin, the son of Blackfriars finished third behind Masterati in the ROANT Gold Cup and third in the Chief Ministers Cup behind Playoffs before coming fourth in the Darwin Cup.
Masterati, a nine-year-old gelding, has starred in Darwin over the years and before making his first appearance back at Fannie Bay his record stood at 14-7-2-2.
The son of Master Of Design, who hails from Irwin’s Murray Bridge stable, last featured in the Top End last July when ninth in the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) and in his only other start finished a disappointing 12th in the Pioneer Sprint (1200m) at Alice Springs in April.
Even with 50m to go on Saturday, Masterati looked like pulling off a remarkable first up win in his ROANT Gold Cup defence with Tsaikos, just like Arnott, producing a master class in the saddle.
Additionally, Irwin – who had a remarkable 2021 Darwin Cup Carnival as Highly Decorated’s trainer – and Manning – who secured an automatic start in the Chief Ministers Cup following Noir De Rue’s win – had their chargers in pristine condition on Saturday.
Looking ahead to the bigger races over 1600m and the Darwin Cup during the 2023 Carnival, which starts next weekend, Siakam and Wolfburn were far from disgraced, while Neil Dyer’s Latest Bentley (fifth), Clarke’s Vallabar (sixth) and Heather Lehmann’s Sanblas (seventh) definitely caught the eye.
Dick Leech’s Write Your Name, making his Top End return after dominating the 2023 Alice Springs Cup Carnival, was eighth after a last start win in the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on April 30.
Meanwhile, Darwin apprentice Jade Hampson, Write Your Name’s pilot when he won the Red Centre’s biggest race, escaped injury after falling from her mount in the opening race on Saturday.
Partnering Paul Gardner’s Glacier Grey over 1600m (0-70), Hampson encountered problems at the 700m when the four-year-old gelding seemed to buckle before breaking down when sitting outside the leader Magnolia Rose in second place.
Hampson was unable to regain her balance before being dislodged – thankfully she avoided the five other runners once landing on the dirt surface.
The 19-year-old suffered a knock to her head, but was able to regain her feet and was taken to Darwin Royal Hospital for observation before she was discharged.
For Hampson, who was understandably stood down for the rest of the program, it was her third fall at Fannie Bay since making her riding debut in April last year.
She suffered a broken ankle and was sidelined for six weeks the first time – that occurred at her second meeting on Anzac Day after saluting in her very first race start – before avoiding injury the second time in July.
Sadly, Glacier Grey, victorious at Fannie Bay last weekend, suffered a severe injury and was euthanised.
1/7/23 Darwin Race 8 Replay – Noir De Rue (1st)
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