Gary Clarke’s Wolfburn completed his Darwin Cup preparations stylishly on Saturday with victory in the $50,000 Metric Mile (1600m) at Fannie Bay.
For the five-year-old gelding, it was his eighth win from 14 Top End starts.
The son of Snitzel is a serious contender in the $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 5.
Clarke will be aiming for his fourth Cup come the first Monday in August following Lightinthenite (2015), Zahspeed (2018) and Playoffs (2022).
Darwin’s leading trainer, who claimed his 12th straight Top End and Country premiership, won the 2000 Cup as a jockey on Steve Paynter’s Star Bullet.
Jarrod Todd, who sealed the jockeys’ premiership for the fifth consecutive year, partnered Wolfburn – the $2.20 favourite with online bookmakers – in the Metric Mile before saluting by 2.5 lengths.
It was Clarke’s fourth win in the Darwin Cup Carnival feature after Austpak (2007), Java (2018) and Savatoxl (2020).
Todd won the Metric Mile for Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer in 2017 on Royal Request, a former NT Derby winner, before the trio combined to win the Cup.
Apart from Royal Request, Lanson (2005), Nozi (2006), Hawks Bay (2011) and Ihtsahymn (2019) have won the Metric Mile since 2000 before winning the Cup.
Jumping from gate three in the seven-horse field on Saturday, Wolfburn led for the first 400m before Chloe Baxter’s He’s The Ultimate ($15), last year’s winner, went four deep before taking over in front once entering the back straight.
He’s The Ultimate employed similar tactics in 2023 and led Wolfburn by two lengths for the next 800m with Dyer’s Hettinger ($2.70), Carrol Hunter’s Desert Lass ($26) and Clarke’s Pink Panther ($7) in pursuit.
Turning for home and with 350m to go, Wolfburn eyed the leader before taking over at the 100m with Pink Panther storming home to make it a Clarke quinella with He’s The Ultimate third.
Hettinger, a spectacular Toyota Finance Cup (1600m) winner on July 17, travelled three deep for the first half of the race before tiring to finish fourth.
Wolfburn, a former Darwin Guineas winner, has had five Darwin starts since returning from Phillip Stokes’ Morphettville stable for four wins and a second.
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