BENDIGO trainer Kym Hann's northern sojourn in Darwin will have its official launch this Saturday.
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Hann will saddle up at least two runners - potentially three - on the short six-race program at Fannie Bay.
He is hoping it's the start of a successful 10-weeks ahead, with the iconic $200,000 Darwin Cup (2050m) on August 1 as his main aim.
The cup has been a happy hunting ground over the years for past and present central Victorian racing participants.
Kyneton trainer Neil Dyer won back-to-back Darwin Cups with Hawks Bay in 2011 and 21012 and added a third victory in 2017 with Royal Request, while last year, former Bendigo jockey Jessie Philpot was successful aboard the Nicole Bruggemann-trained Highly Decorated.
Hann, a dual winner of the Bendigo trainer of the year award, said his team of six horses, which includes Saturday's runners Elmore Lad and Swing With Junior, had all settled in well.
"I'm really happy with them. We had a couple trial (on Tuesday morning) and they trialled well," he said.
"They were Royal Tyke and Our Destrier and Our Destrier trialed extremely well. He won his trial easily.
"He actually trialled the best he ever has - he's really loved this warm weather."
Of Saturday's runners, Hann nominated Swing With Junior as arguably his best hope.
A winner at Mornington four starts ago on New Year's Day, the four-year-old mare won a jump-out at Bendigo prior to her departure to Darwin, albeit his trainer his treading warily.
"At the end of the day, they have to handle the track up here," Hann said.
"If they can't handle the track, and a lot of people up here say they can take a run or two to get used to it, things could be very different.
"But they are all in good order. Late Night Reward might not get a run as I might not be able to get a rider for him, just because they are so short on riders up here and he is so low in the weights.
"He might have to wait till the following weekend."
The young trainer is looking forward with anticipation to Elmore Lad's first outing in the Top End.
A veteran of his stable at seven-years of age, the consistent gelding finished off his last preparation with a spate of three seconds.
He did not finish outside the placings in six starts, including a win over 1300m at Wangaratta in December.
Hann expects Stan Tsaikos, who rode the opening winner on last Saturday's program in Darwin, and Adam Nicholls, who also finished with a winner, will do the bulk of the stable's riding.
He has Our Destrier earmarked as his potential Darwin Cup contender.
The five-year-old son of Zoustar has not raced since mid-February following a solid campaign, highlighted by three straight wins over the mile at Albury and Murray Bridge (back-to-back) in December and January.
The 2050m cup distance remains the only concern for Hann.
"He will run first-up Saturday week in the Adelaide River Cup and then he'll probably go to the Chief Minister's Cup after that," he said.
"We'll just have to play it by ear.
"I've never really tried him over 2000m. He did try over 2000m a couple of preps ago, but the horse had had enough by then, he was ready for the paddock.
"If you go by his Murray Bridge runs and how he hit the line, you would think he would get 2000m.
"We won't be having too many runs into it, we'll be keeping him as fresh as we can."
It has been a winning week already for the stable, which enjoyed success on the Ballarat Synthetic on Monday with the enigmatic Pal's Reward.
The five-year-old gelding won for the fourth time in 23 career starts with an eye-catching 1100-metre benchmark 58 victory, ridden by Bendigo-based jockey John Robertson.
Hann could not have been happier with the performance.
"It was good to see him win again, he's a cunning old thing, he only turns up when he wants to," he said.
"On his day, the horse can really gallop.
"I actually wanted to bring him up here - half the owners wanted to send him, the other half didn't
"He would have gone well up here, but it worked out on Monday."
READ MORE: Hann stable gathering plenty of momentum
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