Highly Decorated’s Darwin Cup win a fairytale for trainer Nicole Bruggemann, jockey Jessie Philpot

IT was a fairytale ending for trainer Nicole Bruggemann when Highly Decorated made it seven wins in a row, taking out the 2021 Great Northern Darwin Cup, while Jessie Philpot became the first female jockey to win the Territory’s premier racing event.

It was a fairytale 2021 Darwin Cup victory for trainer Nicole Bruggemann and jockey Jessie Philpot. Picture: Caroline Camilleri

IT was a fairytale ending for trainer Nicole Bruggemann when Highly Decorated made it seven wins in a row, taking out the 2021 Great Northern Darwin Cup, while Jessie Philpot became the first female jockey to win the Territory’s premier racing event.

Highly Decorated had barely missed a beat since arriving in Darwin, winning six on the trot, including the Chief Minister’s Cup.

It was only then that Bruggemann decided to give the Darwin Cup a go and, after drawing the coveted barrier one, it almost seemed like it was meant to be.

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Highly Decorated hit the front early on and, despite challenges from Terry Gillett’s Ash Grey, the five-year-old held on.

The five-year-old found himself all on his own at the finish line, recording a remarkable win by 2 ½ lengths.

“It’s euphoric. It doesn’t feel real, it would have been a wonderful fairy tale ending if it happened and it did. But it hasn’t sunk in yet,” Bruggemann said.

“I don’t think I was dreaming about it, I was dreaming about every other scenario. I just thought there would be back markers that would come over the top of him.

“He had never run the distance while there were more tested horses in there such as I Am The Fox or Lotion but he showed that he could do it just as well. How much luck can you have coming into a race? Six in a row, barrier one. When we drew that barrier I just left it up to him and Jess because I thought he was good enough and he was.

“I looked everywhere but him thinking someone would get him thinking over and over about when they would get him. But they never did. It was only halfway down the straight where I thought we may have a chance. But it was only when he crossed that line that I knew for sure.”

Terry Gillett’s Ash Grey put the early challenge on, his 2018 Alice Springs Cup winner coming to the inside lanes before the first bend. But the big grey, who came third in last year’s Cup, fell off the pace into the second bend.

Trainer Nicole Bruggemann’s daughter Maddi Viney with 2021 Darwin Cup champion, Highly Decorated. Picture: Glenn Campbell

It was then that Jason Manning’s Noir De Rue put on a good challenge, running hard with Vanessa Arnott aboard, but Highly Decorated kept his pace on the inside and didn’t let up. Philpot kept the diminutive five-year-old sensation going and by the time they hit the finishing straight they looked untouchable.

It was Chris Nash’s Danon Roman with Simon Miller aboard that finished second, one position shy of doing the Palmerston Sprint-Darwin Cup double as a trainer-jockey team, while Noir De Rue finished third.

The occasion still hadn’t sunk in for Philpot following the race, with the young jockey becoming the first ever female jockey to win the Darwin Cup. “It’s hard to put into words. It’s so exciting, everyone is everywhere. It’s a great feeling that hasn’t quite sunk in yet,” Philpot said.

“I only knew I had won at the finish. I never looked back and just aimed to get over the line first before I thought of anything else.

“It’s incredible to be the first female jockey to win this race. It’s a huge thrill and I am hugely grateful for the opportunity.”

It is hard to believe ran a third in a Benchmark 54 race in his first start in Darwin on April 16. Since then, he’s had a stunning Carnival run of form, with seven consecutive victories, including the race that stops the NT.

“No (I can’t believe it). Look at the size of him – he’s tiny and he just plays with them,” Bruggemann said.

“I don’t know what I’m going to do with him now.

“His owner Donna Stephenson said ‘I want to send you this little horse – he loves the dirt’.

“I said ‘how do you know he loves the dirt?’ She said ‘he ran third at Broken Hill’.

“I said ‘that doesn’t mean he loves the dirt!’

“But we love Donna and sometimes we don’t see eye-to-eye, but I said ‘send the little thing to Alice, whatever, I don’t care – we’ll have a look at him’.”

Bruggemann then took a punt with him and drove him up to Darwin.

And the rest is history.