Victorian could land the double

NEIL Dyer, who has made the trek from his Kyneton base in country Victoria to the Top End for the past seven years, might well land the feature double at Fannie Bay this weekend.

Race 7 at Fannie Bay Racecourse. Winning horse Saturday Sorcerer ridden by jockey Paul Denton.

NEIL Dyer, who has made the trek from his Kyneton base in country Victoria to the Top End for the past seven years, might well land the feature double at Fannie Bay this weekend.

Action Again is a strong chance to go back-to-back in tomorrow’s $135,000 bet365 Palmerston Sprint (1200m), while stablemates Cantonese and Royal Request are right in the mix come Monday in the $200,000 Carlton Mid Darwin Cup (2000m) on Monday.

“I’m content and I’m certainly not getting carried away, but the thought of winning both races is an exciting prospect,” Dyer said.

“I’m just doing my job, but if I continue to dot all the I’s and cross all the T’s then like everybody else I’m a chance.

“Also, I’m not about to make any outlandish statementsets as there are plenty of good horses in the Palmerston and the Cup.”

Action Again, a seven-year-old gelding these days, simply thrives in the Top End having won six races from as many starts in the last three years.

“He is a powerhouse on the dirt track at Fannie Bay and after carrying 62kg in his first start back in Darwin over 1100m on July 5 he drops 1.5kg for the Palmerston,” Dyer said.

“He is a big, strong bugger, and for bigger horses weight isn’t really an issue.”

Hawks Bay, who won two Darwin Cups for Dyer, was a massive unit, but it didn’t stop him carrying 64.5kg when he edged out Bolton narrowly in the Territory’s biggest horse race two years ago.

And the fact Action Again drew barrier 10 for the Territory’s feature sprinting race of the year didn’t faze Dyer.

In regards to Cantonese and Royal Request, both horses seem to be peaking perfectly for the Cup. Cantonese, who turns seven today, finished unplaced in his first two starts in Darwin back in June over 1200m and 1300m.

Clearly he needed the runs under his belt as he bounced back to finish second behind Smarty Mac in the Chief Ministers Cup (1600m) and before running third behind Saturday Sorcerer and Spartan Eagle in last week’s Metric Mile.

Royal Request failed to set the world alight in various long-distance races in Victoria, but in his opening race at Fannie Bay he won over 1300m against 0-58 rated opposition on June 21.

Suddenly, he clicked into gear in the three-year-old features by finishing second behind Gravitational in the NT Guineas (1600m) before taking out the NT Derby (2000m).

“Cantonese is a tough campaigner and I’m hoping Royal Request can match it against the best in open company,” Dyer said.

“Cantonese is not a sit and sprint kind of horse, but rest assured he’s a chance after the Metric Mile.

“I am playing it by ear with Royal Request, but I am also being sensible by starting him in the Cup and you can only hope that he runs a good race.”

Meanwhile, Ready To Reel gave Craig Lloyd his third Cup Carnival winner when scoring easily in the Quickprint Handicap (1300m) at Fannie Bay on Wednesday.

Trained by David Bates, Ready To Reel relaxed nicely in the run and produced a barnstorming finish, clearing out over the concluding stages to score by three-and-a-half lengths from Lunch Mates and Shoot ‘N’ Shoot.

It was just reward for Lloyd, who suffered a foot injury after a mishap at the barriers at Fannie Bay last Saturday.

Lloyd is set to partner the David Bates-trained White Sambuca in the Palmerston Sprint (1200m) tomorrow.