An end-of-season suspension seems likely to cost Dwayne Dunn the Melbourne premiership but the jockey looks back to a period during summer as the probable telling point.
Dunn has a one-win lead heading into Saturday’s Flemington meeting but will start a careless riding suspension after Saturday which rules him out for the final three metropolitan meetings of the season.
He leads Craig Williams by one and Damien Oliver by three and needs to still be in front after Saturday’s Flemington meeting to remain premiership chance.
“Hopefully I can pull something out of the bag and make it competitive for them to chase down in the last few meetings,” Dunn said.
Whatever happens, Dunn says he’s happy with his season but admits sitting on the sidelines for the final few meetings will be tough.
“I’m going to be going away on holidays, so what will be, will be,” Dunn said.
“There’s only one person to blame and that’s myself.
“If I didn’t have that lull earlier in the season, things might have been different.”
He went two months without a Melbourne metropolitan win during summer, a sequence that ended with a Listed victory on Shamal Wind at Sandown in January.
“Apart from that it’s been pretty consistent all the way through and I’m pretty happy with the season and how it’s transpired,” Dunn said.
“I’ve met my goals, so it’s all good.”
Dunn, who has eight rides, starts his day on two-year-old Vicious in The Flemington Family Handicap (1200m).
His book also includes the Peter Moody-trained trio of La Venta, Il Cavallo and Herstory, with the latter two early favourites while La Venta is in the market.
Dunn believes there are no stand-outs among his rides, just competitive chances.
“Vicious failed first time out in a race with a lot of depth in it but he’s shown enough to turn up to the races on Saturday and be more than competitive,” he said.
“Lockroy can bring his A-game and be competitive, it just depends which horse turns up.
“(Il Cavallo and Herstory) should be great chances. Although they are not walk-up starts, they should be competitive.”
Williams has ridden a winning treble at the past two Flemington meetings and his book of rides includes favourites Supido and Actuariat.
