Punters have deserted Cantonese in the Darwin Cup but his jockey Blake Shinn is confident he can turn a wide barrier into a positive.

Shinn, who has won feature races at Australia's major racetracks including the Melbourne Cup, is riding in Darwin on Monday for the first time.

The free-running Cantonese was formerly trained by Bjorn Baker in Sydney and won seven races including the 2012 Listed Christmas Cup (2400m).

Now in the Kyneton stable of Neil Dyer, Cantonese was the favourite for the Darwin Cup (2000m) until he came up with barrier 13.

"I've looked at his recent runs and I can find positives from the barrier," Shinn said.

"He drew one last time and was crossed early. From barrier thirteen hopefully he can use his speed and get across and get a good run."

Shinn will have two rides at the meeting, the other Prussian Reign in a 1200m race, also for Dyer.

"It's my first visit to the Top End and I have two rides for Neil. I have ridden for him before and it would be nice to win a good race for him," Shinn said.

"I got the ride on Cantonese through his owners who asked Bjorn if I would consider riding the horse.

"It should be a great experience but it will also be a bit sombre on the anniversary of Simone Montgomerie's fall."

Montgomerie died a year ago after a fall in a support race on the program and the $200,000 Darwin Cup was abandoned with the prize money donated to a fund to support the jockey's young daughter.

Lightinthenite and Smarty Mac have gone to the top of Cup betting after drawing barriers four and eight respectively.

Cantonese has had four runs at the Fannie Bay track in the lead-up to the Cup including a close second to Smarty Mac on July 12 over 1600 metres.

It will be a fleeting visit for Shinn who is gearing up for the spring carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.

He has secured the ride on Group One winner Rebel Dane for at least his first two starts in Saturday's Group Two Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick and the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) on August 30 at Caulfield.