Fukubana will be given his chance at Group level having won two of four starts to date, successful at $1.40 in a three-year-old handicap at Doomben last start and Matthew Dunn believes he can acquit himself well in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m).
A son of Dundeel, Dunn expects Fukubana to furnish with more racing and expects he will relish racing off a more genuine tempo over more ground.
“I think he’ll measure up okay, he was good as a two-year-old against some nice horses down there, I think he’s a horse that will improve third up, I think he’ll improve against better opposition with more genuine tempo on,” Dunn said.
Dunn thought enough of Fukubana to send him to a $150,000 two-year-old race at Rosehill off a debut win at Eagle Farm, beaten a head on that occasion in second and the Murwillumbah based trainer is glad Fukubana has had that experience.
“He’s been there and done it, it’s not new to him, it’s always the best thing to help, for nice horses like him it’s something he’ll need to get used to,” Dunn said.
Whether Fukubana can measure up against the likes of Group One winner Tom Kitten, who is nominated and holds the call at $3 all-in with betting sites remains to be seen, but Dunn believes the horse will run well.
“It hasn’t come easy to him, he’s not a natural racehorse, he’s still fighting himself through his work, he’s only just learnt to relax in his work so I think he’s only going to get better, he’ll get a mile at least, possibly further.”
“He was good the other day in a slowly run race, probably wasn’t entitled to win the way the race was run, I think he’ll measure up really well,” Dunn said.
The market agrees with Fukubana as much as $101 into $15 all-in, with Dunn indicating Nash Rawiller is likely to ride the colt.
Meanwhile, stable warhorse and Group 2 winner Cepheus is on a potential Doncaster Mile tilt, with Dunn locking in the Group 3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) on March 2nd as his first-up target.
