NEIL Dyer and Hawks Bay were living proof in 2011 that good things come to those who wait.
The pair did enough waiting, finishing runner-up in two Darwin Cups before they had a case of third time lucky, breaking through for an emotional victory in the Territory's most renowned horse race.
That was the prize that had eluded them - the first occasion by virtue of a superb performance by rejuvenated performer Activation.
The second was more heartbreaking as Hawks Bay was gunned down in the final stride by Shout Out Loud, who was spurred to the line by champion South African jockey Robbie Fradd.
Dyer privately must have thought he might never win the Darwin Cup, but, nonetheless, he returned with Hawks Bay for a lone purpose, to go one better in the placings.
There would be one major change in the camp after Dyer's call to part ways with eminent local rider Paul Shiers.
Colin Haddon proved an able, but temporary fill-in, warming the seat until star Alice Springs export Steven Arnold hopped aboard on Cup day.
Hawks Bay tuned up for his third Cup assault by winning first-up over 1000m and followed up by winning the Metric Mile, both with Haddon aboard.
As a result, the six-year-old received 62kg for the Cup, a weight with which Hawks Bay would have to produce his best to win.
He did.
In just 122.49 seconds, Hawks Bay banished any memory of heartbreak generated by the years previous, when he raced away to win by four lengths.
The 2011 Cup was as good as over by the 400m as Arnold peeled out to sit outside the leaders with plenty of horse under him.
Dyer completed a quinella when Palmyra Boy, who had finished fourth in the previous two Darwin Cups, came second, with local hope Blackbriar, ironically ridden by Shiers, filling the trifecta.
Not surprisingly, the former baggage handler turned trainer, was extremely emotional after the big race with destiny secured.
"I've been trying for a few years and I don't know how I would have felt if he hadn't won today," Dyer said.
"It's been a long time coming, but, in the end, it was worth the wait. At the corner I knew he was home.
"Steven produced an exceptional ride. The Cup is the race that I have so desperately wanted to win."
For Arnold, who has tasted success around the world, most notably at Royal Ascot, this was a second Cup triumph after dead-heating aboard Kingston Reserve in 1995.
"Having had a lot to do with Territory racing in the past I'm thrilled to bits, it's terrific," he said.
"He's a marvellous horse, a genuine stayer and I enjoyed a beautiful ride.
"Approaching the home turn I was conscious not to go too early. I waited, and even counted to 10, before I hit the go button."
While there was sheer delight for Steven, his mother Sheila's Triple Crown dream for The Ruffian ended when he finished a luckless sixth.
The Ruffian came into the Cup after emphatic victories in both the Darwin Guineas (1600m) and NT Derby (2000m).
With Libby Hopwood aboard, The Ruffian cruised to a dominant 4 1/2-length win in the Guineas before Paul Shiers steered him home to a soft 2 1/2-length Derby win.
The Ruffian certainly grew into Sheila Arnold's banner horse for the carnival, but she also tasted feature successes in the Rose Bowl with bonny mare Piclesia and, of course, the Palmerston Sprint after a fine display by Sense Of Sun.
The win gave jockey Paul Denton his sixth Palmerston striumph as Sense of Sun beat Far Horizons by a length and a half, with favourite Canali in third.
As always, the Darwin Cup Carnival threw up plenty of excitement on and off the track, but one feature saw a changed result months after the marquee's and big guns had gone home.
It involved that man Neil Dyer and not Hawks Bay, but his very good number two Palmyra Boy.
The popular grey won the Chief Minister's Cup on July 9, only to see it stripped nearly four months later following a stewards inquiry into why the horse tested positive to Testosterone.
Dyer, who flew to the Top End to fight the case was also fined $5000, but it is not the end of the story with an appeal into the verdict to be heard early in the New Year.
As a result, Montego Bay is in the record books as the winner, while other horses to taste feature wins during the Top End carnival included brilliant Red Centre speedster The Soldier, Pelican Head, General Mazeratti and Spakatak.
In the premiership ranks, Stephen Brown added yet another Bay trainers crown to the collection in a season his stable broke through the $1 million prizemoney mark.
Brown won races throughout the NT, WA, SA and Victoria, most notably with star sprinter Canali.
Stable rider Scott Hillebrand won his second successive jockeys premiership, while Brown's daughter Alana capped a fine first season in the saddle by taking out the leading apprentice.
Alice Springs again continues to prove one of Australia's racing gems and in 2011 more punters were able to witness the action from Pioneer Park through regular TV coverage on Sky Racing 2.
Their carnival was highlighted by a record-equalling fourth Alice Springs Cup success to the Mauritian magician Dominic Tourneur.
Tourneur joined Paul Denton as the only riders to boast a string quartet of victories in Central Australia's biggest race after South Australian raider Naratel cruised to a dominant victory in May's Cup.
That victory followed previous triumphs by Tourneur on Zylvester (2006), Catechism (2007) and Tradesman's Choice (2008).
It added to the sense of the familiar on the final two days of the carnival and came just 48 hours after Awe And Wonder notched back-to-back Pioneer Sprint successes.
That man Paul Denton was aboard and chalked up his fifth Sprint as Awe And Wonder produced an astonishing last-to-first effort.
There was a blanket finish with the first seven horse finishing within two lengths of each other, while jockey Shayla Evans was taken to hospital after her mount Sneaky Squirrel clipped heels and fell with just 100m to go.
Trainer Michael Hickmott won his second Chief Minister's Cup when Agarkar (Scott Hillebrand) prevailed by a long-neck to book his spot in the Alice Cup.
Lynne Williams kept her successful runs with three-year-old's going as Marseillaise won the NT Guineas (1600m), while other major victors in the Red Centre carnival included Mr Jansz and Rafa.
Lisa Lefoe won the trainers premiership for the third straight season and she already has a mortgage on number four.
Lefoe has trained more winners than anyone in the Territory up until the New Year and will break a personal record early in 2012.
In the riding ranks, Michael Evans reaped the rewards for his move from Central Queensland to Central Australia by taking out the jockey's crown.
Belinda Carlile was the top apprentice and gave a good crack at the overall standings, finishing just four wins away from Evans.
The country racing scene copped a blow when the annual Pine Creek Cup meeting was abandoned.
The big wet forced the popular meeting at Pussycat Flats off in 2011, with not enough time to prepare the legendary track following the wettest season on record in the Top End.
While Pine Creek was a scratching, the three country Cup meetings at Katherine, Tennant Creek and Adelaide River proved bumper days both on and off the track.
Tequila Midnight gave Jami Huish a great thrill in the Katherine Cup, while Spakatak took out the Tennant Creek Cup.
Only Feathers won the Adelaide River Cup for the renowned Brown-Hillebrand combination.
Blackbriar may have been close, but no close enough in the Alice Springs and Darwin Cups, but he proved streets ahead by winning the NT horse of the year in October.
Trainer Melinda Boothby certainly found the key to the former Victorian, who came north with modest form, but won the St Patricks Day Cup in March and was third in both the Darwin and Alice Cups.
Long-time Fannie Bay course photographer Valda Ioane was named the character of racing for 2011, a year that also saw the end of Jamie Chadwick's time in the Top End.
Chadwick, who hosted Fannie Bay coverage on TVN and Sky Channel, in addition to being the DTC communications and marketing manager, closed the book on nine years at the end of the 2011 carnival, joining Perth Racing.
Darwin Cup Carnival's future was assured when chief sponsor Foster's Australia agreed during the year to extend their support for another five years.
The 2011 carnival saw an increase in stakes on its showcase races such as the Darwin Cup, NT Derby and Palmerston Sprint.
Throughout the NT, overall prizemoney rose by nine per cent to $6,249,780, up more than $500,000 on the 2010-11 year, a sign that horse racing throughout the Territory is in good health.
Story courtesy of Gregor Mactaggart, NT News
