Bolton Chasing Third Local Cup In Five Years

YOUTHFUL Northern Territory trainer Steele Bolton will be chasing his third Group 3 Darwin Cup victory in the past five years when he lines up four of the finalists in Sunday's feature event.

Bolton, 27, will provide fastest heat winner Myrtle Monelli (31.07) as well as heat seconds Misdemeanor, On Pursuit and Coffee Run in the final.

The box draw for the final was held at a gala function on Tuesday night. It Is:

Darwin Cup: 1 Lucky Lance, 2 Misdemeanor, 3 Coffee Run, 4 On Pursuit, 5 Myrtle Monelli, 6 Showdown, 7 Manzu, 8 Starlight Gina. Res: 9 Pebble's Girl, 10 Mick Flash.

Bolton, vice-president of the Darwin Greyhound Club, won the Cup in 2020 with Spirit Monelli and in 2018 with Crocodile Crush.

Like Spirit Monelli, Myrtle Monelli is from the Dave Hobby kennel in WA. She is the winner of 24 races and $83,000 and has been in Darwin since February.

“My good mate Dale Baker paid $13,000 for her from Dave Hobby and she has been a great buy for us,” said Steele.

“She is a better dog than both my previous Cup winners, but it all depends on what she draws in the final. She wants an inside box, one to three would be great.

“She's our best chance.

“She went really, really good in the heat.”

Club general manager, Greg Adlam pointed to the fact five of the eight finalists are locally trained and he gives Myrtle Monelli and other heat winner Lucky Lance, a former Queenslander, strong winning hopes against favoured pair, visitors Showdown and Manzu.

Other heats of the Cup on Sunday went to Manzu for Margaret Hepple in 31.16 beating On Pursuit by six lengths, Lucky Lance for Harrison Brown in 31.35 which downed Coffee Run by two lengths, and Jedda Cutlack's Showdown in 31.17 which scored by ten lengths over Starlight Gina.

Bolton says Showdown is the hardest to beat in the final.

“You would think he would be greatly improved by the run on the track,” he said.

Of his other chances he rates Misdemeanour his second best hope.

“But, she will be desperate for the eight box,” he said.

“If she gets that, then she is a very big chance of racing well.

“But, without the eight she can be a slow beginner.”

Bolton has 45 in training in Darwin.

“I'm quite comfortable here,” he said.

“The box draw for the Cup will be everything. As everyone knows, box draws win races, especially big races.”