Owner/trainers with their toy fox terriers at the starting line for this year’s Darcy Cup. Photo: Marion Williams.
What better spectacle can there be on Melbourne Cup Day than toy fox terriers tearing down Bate Street to the finishing line outside Central Tilba’s Dromedary Hotel?
While the terriers – actually their owner/trainers – jostled for the best position at the starting line, stylishly attired spectators crowded around the finishing line and the hotel’s verandah for prime vantage points. Schoolchildren climbed the flowering jacarandas for a bird’s-eye view.
Some of the dogs were known to punters from last year’s race. Others were unknown quantities.
Listening to owner/trainer Clinton Leahy, it seemed the aptly-named Cleo was a sure bet to take out the prestigious Darcy Cup. “She chases the kelpie and sometimes she beats the kelpie,” Mr Leahy said.
As it turned out, the pretty three-and-a-half-year-old didn’t place.
Greg and Carrie Taylor were more realistic about chubby Piper’s chances. Rather than talking up the prospects of their “little bow-legged dog” being first across the finishing line, they spoke of the 15-month-old’s “great personality” and love of eating and sleeping.
Piper trains by chasing magpies so maybe she would do well chasing black and white terriers. Maybe not.
Batman trains by rounding up cows on the property of owner/trainer Paul Eddie.
Batman was so wired up the possibility of a drug test after the race was raised. Batman was a late scratching last year (too noisy) so the Mystery Bay entrant was indeed something of a mystery to the punters.
In complete contrast was Merv. Owned and trained by Jo and Chris Weire, Merv’s remarkable calmness when the stakes were so high did not go unnoticed.
Merv placed in last year’s race. It was a messy finish, taking the stewards longer to examine the video footage than it took the dogs to run the race. Controversy still rages over the result.
Merv’s sister Millie from Mallacoota also competed in last year’s race. Owner/trainer Keith Weire, father of Chris, said she had been training by chasing Merv. Alas, Millie finished way back in the field.
The race wouldn’t be complete without The Dog Father, racing royalty Darcy Hoyer. He bred all the dogs entered in the race and eight-year-old Sooty was mother to most of them.
Sooty didn’t run this year but two of her progeny, Patchie and Boof, did. They train by chasing the farm bike and love chasing kangaroos.
Mr Hoyer rated Patchie’s chances better than Boof’s. “Last year Patchie was coming first but then shot under a car parked on the side of the street because there were so many people at the finishing line,” he said.
For people who had watched last year’s Darcy Cup, this would be a race between three dogs.
Joining Merv as a strong contender was Neville. Both were among the first few past the post last year. To this day owner/trainers Paul (Butch) and Heather Butcher insist Neville beat Merv.
There was also fierce rivalry between Merv and Brian, last year’s Darcy Cup winner. Merv had won the Cobargo Show Small Dog Race in 2022 but Brian took line honours in 2023.
Brian’s owner/trainer Jason Snell said Brian had lost a bit of form over the past year, so he wasn’t sure how the reigning champion would go this time around.
As the dogs, kitted out in their silks, made their way to the starting line, punters were taken aback by a last-minute entry. Former Dromedary Hotel publican Wazza entered Sean, a very young sheep.
Sean joined the others at the starting line but made little progress from there.
As it was, Brian emerged the clear winner, leading Mr Snell to ask where the competition was.
“He did well. I didn’t think he would get up but he did,” Mr Snell said. “He wasn’t training like last year. I think he is a natural.”
Informal video footage seemed to indicate that Neville placed second, by a whisker, and Merv third, prompting talk of a steward’s inquiry.
At the time of writing, official results were yet to be declared. They are certain to be hotly debated in the days to come.
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