Rest assured, the Darwin Turf Club's $100,000 purse on offer for any horse winning the Cup Carnival's Triple Crown is under serious threat.
The Sheila Arnold-trained The Ruffian is a genuine chance to become only the third three-year-old to achieve the feat after his magnificent victory in the $120,000 Skycity NT Derby (2000m) at Fannie Bay yesterday.
Everyone wanted to back the son of Lonhro in the feature race on Day 4 of the Carnival and although he started as a $2.10 favourite his backers had no cause for concern as he cruised home.
And he seemed to win with plenty in reserve which will almost certainly see him start as favourite in the $175,000 Carlton Mid Darwin Cup (2000m) on August 1.
Should he prevail on the first Monday in August, The Ruffian will follow in the footsteps of Brinney (1989) and Ventilago (1996) as winners of the Triple Crown.
Yesterday's win followed victory in the Hot 100 Darwin Guineas (1600m) on Day 1 of the Carnival a fortnight ago.
At the 700m, The Ruffian was racing in ninth place in the 12-horse field before making his move as the field approached the home turn.
Below (Scott Hillebrand), the Stephen Brown-trained galloper who couldn't get a start in the Guineas, led the field into the home turn before The Ruffian went whoosh.
The Ruffian produced a similar late-finishing burst in the Guineas and is clearly thriving in the Top End after a first-up fifth behind High Finance over 1300m on June 18.
Below ($14) fought on gamely to finish second, while the Alice Springs-trained Disc Jockey (Michael Evans) made up for his poor display in the Guineas to grab third place.
Disc Jockey ($10) was handily placed in the final 400m and the fact that he and Below were able to fill the minor placings indicates that apart from the winner the other nine runners had nothing left in the tank.
The Mark Nyhan-trained Can't Agree (Jan Cameron) rumbled with the leaders throughout to finish fourth, while the Neil Dyer-trained Baby Huey (Craig Atkinson) - a mile behind when the field passed the post for the first time - ended up fifth.
Bill Mumford, the owner of The Ruffian, who was understandably ecstatic after the race, said: "I'm on top of the world, it's a great feeling.
"I must admit that following his win in the Guineas I was confident because he was racing against the same horses."
Mumford, who won the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes with Reward For Effort, has attended the Darwin Cup Carnival since 1986 and he described The Ruffian's win as something "very special".
"I'm just as excited," he said.
The Ruffian, who made the trip north from Victoria, is trained by the respected Sheila Arnold, formerly of Alice Springs and a dominant figure in the Territory, who is now based in Geelong.
Story courtesy of David White, NT News
