2017 Darwin Cup winner Neil Dyer says Kaonic needs to step up in the Metric Mile (1600m) in Darwin
THE 2017 Darwin Cup winner with Royal Request, Neil Dyer, admits he has been disappointed with Kaonic’s form heading into Saturday’s $50,000 TAB Metric Mile (1600m) at Fannie Bay.
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THE 2017 Darwin Cup winner with Royal Request, Neil Dyer, admits he has been disappointed with Kaonic’s form heading into Saturday’s $50,000 TAB Metric Mile (1600m) at Fannie Bay.
But there is just enough time to restore that confidence ahead of the Darwin Cup on August 2.
The catch is the six-year-old must perform over the mile today.
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So far, the stayer with over $400,000 in prizemoney to his name has surprisingly not lived up to his expectations in the 2021 Darwin Cup Carnival.
His first run in Darwin was a fourth in the $23,000 Queen’s Birthday Race Day Handicap (1200m) on June 12.
He went backwards after that.
The long-distance performer from the superstar trainer Chris Waller’s stable finished sixth in the $25,000 TAB ROANT Gold Cup (1300m) on July 3, followed by an eighth in the $60,000 Asian United Food Service Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) on July 10.
Expectations are Kaonic – a winner of the $75,000 Ascot Green Open Handicap (1825m) at Eagle Farm on August 29 last year – will rectify those recent results on Saturday.
“His last run was disappointing,” Dyer said.
“He ran in the ROANT, and then seven days later we had to run him over a mile, so maybe he was a little rushed.
“But we’re seeing some signs with his track work that he’ll bounce back.
“But in saying that he’s got to find another 12 lengths for the Cup.”