Greg Connor counts on the dark horses for a ripper carnival

ALICE Springs trainer Greg Connor is quietly confident he will enjoy his best Darwin Cup Carnival ever starting on Saturday at Fannie Bay.

Horse trainer Greg Connor with Sweeneys Lane at Fannie Bay stables.

ALICE Springs trainer Greg Connor is quietly confident he will enjoy his best Darwin Cup Carnival ever starting on Saturday at Fannie Bay.

Connor and his wife, jockey Kacie, have brought up a team of 18 from the Red Centre for the carnival with a number of surprise packages and “dark horses”.

“It’s a war of attrition sometimes but if we can finish with 13 or 14 we will get a few winners hopefully,” Connor said.

Anyone looking for an early “heads up” for the carnival from the Connor stable should consider Differing Fortunes.

The son of Redoute’s Choice won three on the trot in Adelaide in the summer, including the Strathalbyn Cup (2050m) in January.

The four-year-old gelding has had 16 career starts for five wins and four seconds but has not raced since March when he was fifth of six in the Adelaide Cup.

“He is suited really well to this environment,” Connor said. “The previous trainer (Daniel Clarken) said he loves the heat and since we have had him here he really does.”

Differing Fortunes should have his first start in the ROANT in a fortnight.

Leave A Message, who finished fourth on his Fannie Bay debut last Saturday, has been pencilled in for the Guineas on July 5.

“He had a nice run here, resuming after seven months off following an operation,” Connor said.

“His father (Chatline) was a good miler so we will see what happens.”

Here to There, who won three times from 14 starts when trained by Greg Eurell in Victoria, has his first start in the NT in race two over 1300m today.

“He won a barrier trial last Tuesday week so it is just a case of handling the dirt,” Connor said.

“He’s a 69-rated horse in Melbourne so we have high hopes for him.

Another intriguing Connor runner today is Sweeneys Lane in the QBE Cup.

Kacie Connor has hopped off last-start winner Planet King — which will now be ridden by in-form apprentice Melanie Tyndall — and on to Sweeneys Lane.

“You could have Black Caviar in the race and she would ride Sweeneys Lane,” Connor said of his wife.

“She loves the horse and likes to look after him. She has won quite a few races on him.

“He keeps on surprising us. Sometimes he just looks like a world-beater. He does not have a bad bone in his body.”