Matt Dunn is hoping for a track upgrade to boost his prospects of training his first city treble at Doomben on Saturday.
Dunn, 38, is in his second stint as a full-time trainer and has landed a treble only once in his career, at Ipswich.
Dunn trained for several years at the Gold Coast before he was chosen to head Gerald Ryan’s stables at Rosehill when the Sydney trainer was based at the Gold Coast.
He remained with Ryan after the Gold Coast operation was closed and eventually moved to Murwillumbah to head up a satellite stable for his former boss.
However, they went their separate ways when the Northern Rivers operation was shut down.
“I was foreman for Gerald for about 10 years after I initially trained for about four years on the Gold Coast,” Dunn said.
“I’ve only been training on my own this time for about three months and I’ve got a stable of 45 in work.”
Dunn believes all three of his Doomben starters have strong claims but wants the weather to clear and hopes for a track upgrade from its current slow rating.
“I think my three horses all have good chances but we don’t want any more rain,” he said.
Chew The Fat will be Dunn’s first runner in the Iceworks Restaurant, Bar & Lounge Hcp (1200m) followed by Mington in the Austcover Hcp (1200m) and Seventh Heart in the Brisbane Fire Protection Hcp (1350m).
Dunn rates Seventh Heart, a Glen Colless mount, as the pick of his trio.
“He’s had five starts this campaign and has had no luck in any of them,” he said.
“They’ll go fast in this race which should suit him as he’s got a good sprint.”
Chew The Fat is backing up after winning in three-year-old class at Ipswich last Friday and Dunn is confident he can handle the task.
“I know he has to back up and there’s not much of him,” Dunn said.
“But it was a good win at Ipswich and the time he ran was also good.
“He’s still learning but he’s a nice horse with a good future.
“What he is doing now is on natural ability. When he matures he’ll make a good horse.”
Mington is coming off a second to G’day Old Mate in a 1200-metre class six at Eagle Farm on August 13.
Dunn is more concerned about a wet track for the four-year-old after he finished 11th at his only attempt on a heavy track at the Gold Coast in January.
“I took him to Sydney after that run looking for a dry track but he only had one start down there when he ran fifth at Rosehill,” he said.
Dunn hasn’t ruled out a return to Sydney during the spring with Mington.
“His run last start was very good considering he sat three wide and if he steps up in his next couple of runs there’s a chance he might have a go in Sydney again,” he said.
AAP TURF
