It’s ‘Day Zero’ at Fannie Bay on Saturday — the traditional meeting before the Darwin Cup Carnival — and the $30,000 ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) is the feature.
History suggests that the ROANT, along with the Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) and Metric Mile (1600m), is a wonderful guide looking ahead to the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m).
This year’s ROANT Gold Cup has attracted an excellent 11-horse field with eight runners eyeing the Darwin Cup.
Jason Manning’s nine-year-old gelding Noir De Rue, a spectacular winner of the 2023 Day Zero feature, backs up with 63.5kg after lumping 62.5kg a year ago.
2023 ROANT Gold Cup – Noir De Rue
Gary Clarke’s Wolfburn, Chloe Baxter’s He’s The Ultimate and Phil Cole’s Saccharo will fly the flag for the Top End.
In the 2023 Darwin Cup, Wolfburn finished third, He’s The Ultimate was fifth and Noir De Rue — who also won last year’s CM Cup — was ninth.
Alice Springs trainers Kerry Petrick and Carrol Hunter will start Venting and Desert Lass, while Victorian trainers Neil Dyer and Andrew Perdon have entered Hettinger and Starspangled Baby.
Wolfburn, He’s The Ultimate, Noir De Rue and Desert Lass are the only horses from the 2023 Darwin Cup contesting the ROANT.
Since 2017, the Darwin Cup winner has won or placed in the ROANT, CM Cup or Metric Mile.
Royal Request won the CM Cup and Metric Mile before his 2017 Darwin Cup victory, while Zahspeed saluted in the CM Cup before claiming the 2018 Darwin Cup.
Ihtsahymn won the 2019 and 2020 Darwin Cup after winning the 2019 Metric Mile and finishing second in the same race in 2020.
In 2021, Highly Decorated won the ROANT, CM Cup and Darwin Cup.
Clarke’s Playoffs won the 2022 CM Cup and Darwin Cup, while Dick Leech’s Write Your Name was third in last year’s CM Cup before winning the Darwin Cup.
2023 Darwin Cup – Write Your Name
Thoroughbred Racing NT chief executive Andrew O’Toole agreed that the ROANT was a good guide when assessing Darwin Cup Carnival form.
“Wolfburn, Saccharo, He’s The Ultimate, Hettinger and Desert Lass are good horses, while Starspangled Baby is a Bairnsdale Cup winner,” he said.
“This is not a slight on either horse, but I’m not sure about Hettinger over 2000m and Desert Lass has yet to win one of the big races in the NT — she has gone close a few times though.
“Son Of Bielski, an impressive winner last Saturday, and Wolfburn are serious contenders come Darwin Cup Day.
“Playoffs is back with the Clarke stable, but he has had injury problems and is probably not the horse he once was.
“Boom Boom Sweet, Ziggi Rocks, Too Much Class and Fortis In Armis race over 1600m on Saturday, they could step up during carnival.
“Venting, this year’s Alice Springs Cup winner, is in line for the $100,000 Triple Crown bonus with victory in the Chief Minister’s and (Darwin) Cup, so the ROANT is an important lead-up for him.”
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