Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer is expecting last Saturday’s Metric Mile winner Royal Request to be given a weight penalty for the $200,000 Carlton Mid Darwin Cup (2000m) at Fannie Bay in Darwin on August 7.

Royal Request, above, is likely to get a penalty for the Darwin Cup after winning the Metric Mile at Fannie Bay in Darwin. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Royal Request, above, is likely to get a penalty for the Darwin Cup after winning the Metric Mile at Fannie Bay in Darwin. Photo by Jenny Barnes.

Dyer can see Royal Request receiving a penalty and having to carry more than his original handicap weight of 59kg for the Darwin Cup after scoring a three quarters of a length win over Spartan Eagle in the $50,000 Sky Racing Metric Mile (1600m) at Fannie Bay in Darwin last Saturday.

“There’s no doubt it was a good win, but it just means that he’ll probably cop a penalty for the Cup,” Dyer told the NT News.

“I’m resigned to the fact that he may get a bit more weight for the Cup, but he proved once again how much he loves it here at Fannie Bay.”

“We’ve got nine days to get him right for the Cup, but he’s certainly going well.”

2014 Darwin Cup winner Pretty Blonde ran fourth to Royal Request in the Metric Mile and the pair will meet again next Monday with the Kym Healy trained mare receiving 57kg when the weights were released last week.

Pretty Blonde has won over $570,000 in prizemoney but Dyer has accepted the fact that Royal Request, with only $410,194 in the bank will have to carry more weight that the mare.

“Pretty Blonde has earned more prizemoney than Royal Request, yet my horse will more than likely be the top weight in the Cup,” Dyer said.

“However, I do realise that Pretty Blonde is a mare and therefore won’t have to carry as much weight.

“That’s the way it is and I have no complaints.”

Dyer will be chasing his third win in the Darwin Cup after Hawks Bay collected the winning trophy in 2011 and 2012 which came on the back of two runner’s up cheques the previous two years with the Black Hawk gelding.

Royal Request is well in the market for the 2017 Darwin Cup with Ladbrokes.com.au listing the six year old on the third line of betting at $5.50 behind Lieder at $4 and Billet Doux at $4.60.

Early market order for the 2017 Darwin Cup at Ladbrokes.com.au: $4 Lieder, $4.60 Billet Doux, $5.50 Royal Request, $7.50 Folk Tales, $8.50 Unbreakable, $9 Whistle Stop, $10 Pretty Blonde, $11 Saturday Sorcerer, $15 Harrebs Time, $17 Abu Dhabi, Moon Devil, $21 Wexford Town, $26 Electric Crimson, $31 Spartan Eagle, $51 Flying Tormenta, $67 New Empire, $101 Arctic Song, Best Case, Hammered Art, Overdane, Supercoach, War Story.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.