3 minute read

Victorian trainer Neil Dyer will step up his annual assault on the Darwin carnival with six starters at Fannie Bay on Saturday.

Dyer landed in Darwin with a 12 horse team a month ago, the team led by his carnival legend Hawks Bay.

Dyer has made the four-day 7400km round trip from Victoria to Darwin each year since 2008 and has enjoyed remarkable success, winning 51 races in Darwin and Alice Springs and more than $1.4 million prizemoney during his long winter stays in the Northern Territory.

The rising nine-year-old Hawks Bay has been a member of the team every year since 2009 when he was a three-year-old.

He has become the pin up horse of the Darwin carnival as his wins include two Darwin Cups in 2011 and 2012, the NT Derby, Darwin Guineas, Chief Minister’s Cup, ROANT Cup and Metric Mile.

“We arrived a week early this year,” Dyer told the NT Bulletin.

“You put up with the journey up here because you know you are going to be here for nine weeks.”

Hawks Bay is yet to start his campaign aimed at another win in the $200,000 Darwin Cup over 2000m on the first Monday in August.

Dyer’s six runners at Fannie Bay this weekend are led by former Sydney Listed winner Cantonese in the ROANT Cup, a race Hawks Bay won last year.

A Christmas Cup winner at Rosehill, Cantonese will be having his second start for Dyer in Darwin.

Dyer has started 13 horses at Fannie Bay at the first two meetings of this year’s carnival for one win and three placings.

Victorian jockey Jarrod Todd has made the trip to Darwin with Dyer and rides all his runners at Fannie Bay on Saturday.