Even the barrier draw couldn't split the top two contenders.
The Ruffian ($2.60 favourite) and Hawks Bay ($3) will start from ideal positions following the barrier draw for the $175,000 Carlton Mid Darwin Cup (2000m) at SkyCity yesterday.
There were loud celebrations when topweight Hawks Bay, runner-up in the Cup for the past two years, drew barrier three.
A short time later, exciting three-year-old The Ruffian secured gate five, which will only enhance his prospects of claiming the Darwin Turf Club's Triple Crown.
The prized inside barrier was secured by Ken Rogerson-trained Robdon Flyer, while the dreaded outside barrier (14) went to Kevin Lamprecht-trained Spakatak.
There will be a dozen starters in the race but Tennant Creek Cup winner Spakatak, who turns 11 on Monday, will still be the last horse loaded into the gates as he will jump from gate 12.
Stephen Brown-trained Bolton ($4.60), who is currently the first emergency and is the only other horse with double-figure odds, will race from barrier 10 should he get a start.
There is mounting speculation that Julien Welsh-trained Very Fast, a starter in today's Channel 9 Welter (1900m) on Day 7 of the Darwin Cup Carnival, will be scratched from the Cup, thus guaranteeing Bolton a start.
No representatives from the Very Fast stable were on hand yesterday for the Cup draw, which only enhances Bolton's prospects.
Bolton would be desperatlely unlucky to miss a start in the Cup after finishing a gallant second behind Hawks Bay in the $45,000 Metric Mile (1600m) at Fannie Bay last Saturday.
Had Bolton won the Metric Mile he would have automatically qualified for the biggest race on the Territory calendar.
The Ruffian, an outstanding winner of the Hot 100 Darwin Guineas (1600m) and SkyCity NT Derby (2000m), has assumed the spotlight as victory in the Cup will secure connections an addtional $100,000 as only the third winner of the Triple Crown.
The son of Lonhro will have plenty of supporters as his Geelong based trainer Sheila Arnold, who is set to make her first appearance at the Carnival this weekend, is a well known figure in the Territory having spent many years in Alice Springs.
Connections of The Ruffian certainly rate his chances on Monday as leading Sydney jockey Kerrin McEvoy has been booked to ride the horse.
Hawks Bay, who missed out on the Triple Crown at the final hurdle in 2009, will be the sentimental favourite in the Cup, but will be spotting 8.5kg.
In an extraordinary twist of fate, Arnold's son Steven, now based in Melbourne, will ride Hawks Bay.
Story courtesy of David White, NT News
