Dunn with good chances on Finals Day
Royal Symphony and Ability headline jockey Dwayne Dunn’s book of rides at Flemington.
Fresh from reaching a half-century of Melbourne city winners for the third consecutive season, Dwayne Dunn heads to Flemington to ride two of the shortest-priced favourites on the Finals Day card.
Dunn’s full book of rides on Saturday includes boom colt Royal Symphony in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) for two-year-olds and emerging sprinter Ability, the favourite for the Listed All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m).
The Tony McEvoy-trained Royal Symphony, who is part-owned by Dunn’s wife Amanda, is at $1.40 to make it three wins from as many starts after his exciting 3-3/4 length victory over 1400m at the same track two weeks ago.
“I’m looking forward to him,” Dunn said.
“He carries the same weight to the other day but he gives the others a bit more weight this time.
“He’s out to the mile and has drawn down in barrier two so it’s a different sort of ball game for him. So hopefully he just gets the job done again and then heads out to the paddock and we see him again in the spring.”
Royal Symphony made such an impression last start that he was elevated to the top of early markets for the Caulfield Guineas.
“It’s exciting but it’s just keeping a lid on it, really,” Dunn said.
“I’ve been on these sorts of horses before. They’re not in the A-grade yet. He’s still playing B-grade. But you’ve got to like what you see and I’m just trusting that he’s going to do the same thing on Saturday.”
With Craig Williams suspended, Dunn has picked up the ride on Ability in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final.
Dunn has previously ridden the Robert Smerdon-trained Ability and said he had shown early potential.
The four-year-old has started to live up to that with two wins from as many starts this campaign since being gelded, with Williams aboard in both his wins.
“I’m looking forward to getting back on him,” Dunn said.
Dunn rode his 50th Melbourne city winner for 2016/17 on Wednesday at Sandown and is third in the premiership behind Beau Mertens and Williams.