Care To Think defies adversity for Dunn
While he would obviously prefer Care To Think has a trouble-free run in the Liverpool City Cup, trainer Matt Dunn has learned not to be too concerned watching his races.
The four-year-old has had to extricate himself from tricky situations before winning his past three starts.
Murwillumbah-based Dunn nominated toughness as Care To Think’s key trait leading into his first race in Group company on Saturday.
“His toughness to get himself out of bad situations in races and still win, that’s his main quality,” Dunn said.
“His last three starts, he probably shouldn’t have won any of them.”
Care To Think was checked and raced against the pattern at Doomben first-up in December and was then blocked for a run on the same track before winning by 1-1/2 lengths.
He then travelled three-wide without cover before claiming the Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast in January.
“In any of those runs if he’d got beaten you’d still say ‘That was a great run, he’s going very well’. He didn’t just win, he won with authority each time,” Dunn said.
“It’s quite extraordinary how well he can still finish off after doing all the work.”
Care To Think’s form has put him in line for the $3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick next month, a target that will be cemented if he justifies his favouritism for the Group Three Liverpool City Cup (1300m).
“That’s the plan at this point and if Saturday doesn’t go to plan we can send him home and set him up for the Stradbroke,” Dunn said.
“The only question mark we have is whether he’s going to be effective over a mile at Randwick. This will give us an ideal of how he can settle.”
Care To Think has been in Sydney since a trial at Rosehill on February 19 and will be joined on Friday by Sepoy’s Choice, who will try to add to Dunn’s haul of 14 Highway Handicap wins.
“His last two runs have been a lot more encouraging than previously,” Dunn said.
“He’s finally starting to find his spot. He’s a horse that probably needed a bit of time.”