Matt Dunn is confident Magic Ruler has more strings to his bow than simply being a mudlark, but he is happy to wait to have that theory confirmed.
The three-year-old has won two of his past three starts on heavy tracks and is set to get similar conditions in the Ranvet Handicap (1100m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
However, while there is no doubt he has an affinity for wet conditions, Magic Ruler’s form surge has also coincided with a gelding procedure.
“He’s doing a good job on wet ground and since he has been gelded, he’s just that bit more genuine now, that bit more focused,” Dunn said.
“His performances as a colt on some dry tracks were OK as well so I suppose we just wait and see with him because he has basically been on wet ground right through this preparation.
“If things ever fine up, we’ll find out.”
If Magic Ruler can continue his winning form, it will bring up a handy milestone for Dunn, who has trained 99 winners in NSW and Queensland this season and needs one more to celebrate a century.
Magic Ruler is a $10 chance and will face some tough opponents, including stakes placegetter Joviality and Tulloch Lodge gelding Yardstick, who has also been tested in black-type grade.
However, both are resuming and Dunn is banking on Magic Ruler’s race fitness to bridge any class gap.
“Maybe he doesn’t have the class that they’ve got, or he hasn’t performed at the level they have, but he’s got the fitness edge for sure,” he said.
Fitness will also be a key ingredient for Badoosh in the Quayclean Handicap (1500m).
Dunn says the burly gelding has needed his two runs back but with those under his belt, he expects him to be ready to strike form.
“Both of his runs have been pretty similar, he’s loomed as a chance and then peaked,” Dunn said.
“Now we’ve got those couple of runs out of the way and got him fit – he’s a great big heavy horse and takes a fair bit of work – but he’s right where I need him now.”
