Dyer has become synonymous with Darwin Cup success with three wins alongside his name, including back-to-back victories in 2011-12 with the mighty Hawkes Bay.

Dyer added his third in 2017 with an emotional victory with Royal Request.

His chances this year rest with the $26 chance and topweight Kaonic.

The six-year-old gelding, who was trained earlier in his career by Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller, was purchased specifically last year by Dyer on behalf of connections with Monday's race in mind.

A Listed race winner at Flemington on 2018 Melbourne Cup Day as a four-year-old, Kaonic has been short of his best in the Top End, unplaced in four starts over distances ranging from 1200m to the mile.

Dyer is hoping the step up to 2050m - still short of what he perceives as the gelding's best distance - and an overdue dash of luck can bring about a reversal of fortunes for Kaonic in the Cup.

"He's a horse who's got to get an easy run, build momentum and not get held up. He's such a big strider that when he gets held up, it takes him four or five strides to get going again," he said.

"So, we're hoping for a nice clean run in transit.

"If he doesn't get held up, he gets his chance to gradually build and build into the race and hopefully he's not too far away.

"This is definitely what we got him for. Since I've got him, he's probably showed us that he is a 2400m horse at this stage, but we're trying to get him to win a 2050m."

A Cup win would be a sweet reward for Dyer, who missed his first Darwin Cup Carnival in 12 years last year, while stuck back in Victoria due to the difficulties with travel during the coronavirus pandemic.

Having been in Darwin with a large team of horses since early June, Dyer has appreciated being back.

"We're still doing as much as ever to win this race," he said.

Few - if any - horses in the Cup are as well credentialed as Kaonic, who boasts wins at Flemington, Randwick and Eagle Farm, and has earned six wins and more than $400,000 in prize money across his 35 starts.

Dyer has been buoyed with a much-improved effort from Kaonic at his last start, a seventh in the $50,000 Metric Mile just under three lengths behind the winner That's Justified.

A trainer for more than 30 years, he will have a busy Cup day with five runners across the card.

He will head there on a high following Carlingford's win in the $40,000 Darwin Corporate Park Cup (1300m) last Wednesday.

The seven-year-old, who will be backing up in race two on Monday, is under Dyer's care while in Darwin, but was trained in Kyneton by Mick Sell.

Sell and his wife Mel, who are part-owners of Carlingford, flew to Darwin on the weekend and will be trackside to cheer their 10-race winner on, as well as their former apprentice Jessie Philpot, who will ride the second favourite Highly Decorated in the Cup.

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Dyer is expecting 'another usual honest effort' from Carlingford.

"He's been a nice horse. He's getting on now, he's seven, but I was happy when I knew I could bring him up here," he said.

"It was a pretty gutsy effort from him (last) Wednesday."

Carlingford will be ridden by Stan Tsaikos, while Jason Maskiell will be aboard Kaonic in the feature race.

The Darwin Cup will be run at 6pm (AEST) on Monday.

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