Jason Manning’s evergreen nine-year-old Noir De Rue is favourite to win Monday’s Darwin Cup 2023 at his third attempt in the Top End’s greatest race.

Lake’s Folly is one of the key contenders in Monday’s popular 2023 Darwin Cup event. Photo: Jenny Barnes.

This season’s $200,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup (2050m) steals the show at Fannie Bay bringing to an end the always popular Darwin Cup Carnival in the Northern Territory.

The Darwin Cup field features a quality line-up of stayers with this year’s hefty 62kg top-weight, Noir De Rue, dominating the markets at $4.40 through Ladbrokes.com.au.

The favourite gets the rails run from gate one with Vanessa Arnott continuing associations with the veteran son of Blackfriars who has his 71^st career start.

He has won four of his past five starts all at the Darwin track and chases a hat-trick after lead-up victories in the Gold Cup (1300m) and Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m).

Noir De Rue carted 59kg to a nearly three-length win over the mile here last time out and has previous winning form up to 2200m.

Monday marks his third attempt at Darwin Cup success following his third to Highly Decorated in 2021 and fourth last year behind Playoffs.

The danger occupying the second line of Darwin Cup betting at $5 is the Sheila Arnold-trained Lake’s Folly.

Anthony Darmanin rides the Pierro seven-year-old in the big one taking over from Mark Pegus who was aboard for the horse’s impressive three-length lead-up win at the track and trip in the Buntine Handicap.

Lake’s Folly carted 57.5kg to victory there earlier in the Carnival and will be flying returning to the same course and distance but with 54kg on Monday.

In an open top half of the markets a further three runners are also under double-figure Darwin Cup odds including the early market mover Wolfburn.

The punters have come hard and fast for Gary Clarke’s airborne local chestnut who has been well-backed in from $13 to $7.

The five-year-old son of Snitzel has a brilliant Darwin strike-rate (8:4-2-0).

He had 59.5kg on his back on July 19 when posting a two-length win over the mile here with another win pending back down to 54kg in the big one with Jarrod Todd aboard from an ideal gate four draw.

The fellow Clarke-trained Grandslam ($8.50) out to return to better form after a disappointing recent season and Chief Minister’s Cup third place-getter Write Your Name ($9) for local horseman Dick Leech round out the single-figure Darwin Cup contenders this year.

The 2023 Darwin Cup is set to run as Race 10 at 5:35pm (ACST) as the last on Monday’s Fannie Bay race card with full markets from Ladbrokes.com.au available by clicking here.

2023 Darwin Cup Final Field & Barrier Draw

Table Credit: Racing Australia.