There are five race meetings scheduled to take place on Monday, including at Darwin, where it’s Cup Day.

They also race at Dalby, Lismore, Moruya and Pakenham.

Race 10 Darwin

Wolfburn @ 3.80

Race 5 Lismore

Draft Day @ 8.50

Race 6 Moruya

Vaaroom @ 6.00

 Wolfburn the one to watch in Darwin Cup 

The Darwin Cup over 2050m comes up as the final contest on a ten-race card.

Bear Story is expected to prove popular with punters, having demonstrated good metro form in Melbourne earlier this year.

Those Melbourne efforts include a fourth when beaten just under three-and-a-half-lengths in an 1800m Benchmark 100 handicap at Sandown in May.

The seven-year-old impressed when winning by over four lengths in the 1600m Chief Minister's Cup here last month and he rates a leading player in this field.

Gary Clarke's WOLFBURN arrives here in great form however having won four of his last five starts.

The sole defeat in that run came when finishing runner-up in the previously mentioned Chief Minister's Cup on his penultimate start.

The 3.80 gelding returned to winning ways when saluting by two-and-a-half-lengths in the 1600m Metric Mile two weeks later.

The son of Snitzel placed third in this race 12 months ago, having also placed in the NT Derby over this track and trip in 2022.

Jason Todd, on board for the pick's last five starts, is again in the saddle and his mount looks capable of registering a big race win.

 Draft liked for Lismore glory 

The fifth race of the day at Lismore is a 1320m Benchmark 58 handicap contest set to take place on a soft 6 surface.

Straya Day has registered some good efforts of late and is expected to jump as favourite for the Daniel Bowen stable.

The gelding showed good form when half-a-length second in a 1310m Benchmark 58 handicap here on his penultimate start.

The seven-year-old raced on a soft 5 track that day and duly went one better dropped to 1210m for a similar contest here last month.

The son of Denman had been freshened prior to that latest effort and, while a leading player, he looks opposable having been allocated barrier nine.

Top weight DRAFT DAY is without a win since registering a victory on the synthetic track at Pakenham in October 2022.

However, he has registered a number of placed efforts in the interim and hasn't been beaten too far in two starts this prep.

The first of those efforts saw him come home just over three-and-a-half-lengths seventh in a 1260m Benchmark 82 handicap at Ballina at the end of June.

The 8.50 selection jumped at odds of $71 when racing on a heavy 8 track that day and he followed that up with a sixth over 1400m at Grafton last month.

The drop back in distance is no issue here with the six-year-old having been allocated an inside alley for this contest.

Jockey Glen Cahill takes three kilograms off the pick's back and the pair look capable of recording a win in this event.

 Vaaroom to salute at Moruya 

The penultimate race at Moruya is a 1660m Benchmark 58 handicap event.

A good 4 track is expected, with VAAROOM the pick to register a third up victory.

The 6.00 pick came home third when racing over 1425m in a similar race to this on a good 4 track in October and he has been racing on wet tracks in the main since.

The six-year-old resumed with a seventh of nine when racing over 1280m in a Benchmark 60 handicap at Canberra Acton last month.

Keith Dryden's representative took a marked step forward when third in a 1300m Benchmark 50 handicap held on a heavy 10 surface at Wagga twelve days later.

Apprentice Rebecca Bronett Prag claims two kilograms in this contest and she is taken to steer the selection to a fourth career win.