Matt Dunn will have at least two starters in The Kosciuszko with Boom Torque and Tribeca Star both selected for slots in the $2 million Everest Day feature.
The pair will have what could be their final lead-up runs in separate states on Saturday, dual acceptor Boom Torque to step out at Rosehill, while Tribeca Star will contest a 1200m, Class Six Plate at Eagle Farm.
The news of their Kosciuszko inclusion has been a bright spot in a difficult week for Dunn, who lost stable star and Big Dance fancy Cepheus to a fatal trackwork injury.
While still grappling with the bitter blow, the trainer is thrilled to have Boom Torque and Tribeca Star in the Kosciuszko mix and hasn’t given up hope his hand could increase further.
“We’ve got two in so far, hopefully we can get one more,” Dunn said.
“We’ve got a couple more there we would like to get in, but two is good.
“They’re both nice horses.”
Tribeca Star has won four of his 14 starts and put the writing on the wall for a fruitful campaign with a solid first-up win at the Sunshine Coast last month.
Boom Torque, who Dunn picked up following the retirement of Kacy Fogden last year, boasts an even more impressive strike-rate as the winner of half of his 14 starts.
He is first emergency for the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill and will go that way if he gains a run, if not the TAB Handicap (1100m) will be the backstop.
“I want to go to the Theo Marks so I’m hoping for a scratching,” Dunn said.
“He has got to run in NSW to qualify for the Kosciuszko because he’s never had a start here.
“He has been a beauty. He won his first five for me, he’s a Magic Millions winner, he has done a really good job.
“He’s a nice horse because he runs on soft, he runs on hard, when there is tempo, he comes off speed, if they go slow he can race on speed. He’s really adaptable.”
Dunn is also convinced Tribeca Star can make his presence felt in The Kosciuszko (1200m), which will be held at Randwick on October 19, saying the horse has returned to the stable better than ever.
“He was in work for a long time last prep and he was still racing as well at the end as what he was at the start, so the break has done him the world of good,” Dunn said.
“He’s in for a good preparation for sure.”
The field for the The Kosciuszko is beginning to take shape following Wednesday’s draw of the winning slot holder tickets.
Front Page, who will be bidding to claim the country showpiece for the third successive year, and the talented Far Too Easy are among the first horses confirmed for starts.
