What if you gave Nash Rawiller a 4kg claim?
Trainer Mathew Dunn (Pic: Grant Guy)
That’s effectively what trainer Matthew Dunn regards as being the advantage of waiting two weeks to give Cranky Harry his chance to win a TAB Highway (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Dunn accepted with Cranky Harry a fortnight ago with 63kg and when he drew the outside he elected not to make the trip. That Highway was run under handicap conditions, Saturday’s race is a set weights Plate event so he can’t get any more than the 59kg.
“If he’d drawn well he probably would have run (two weeks ago) but the 63kg and barrier 22 kind of decided it,’’ Dunn said.
“He gets in so well, we’ve got Nash Rawiller and it’s like having a 4kg claim.”
Dunn has trained 37 Highway winners so far as the series approaches its 400th running.
Cranky Harry, $2 favourite with TAB on Friday, arrives at Randwick with three runs under his belt and a tickover trial to bridge the gap since his narrow defeat at Doomben on June 5.
“He’s only had three starts for me and should have won all three,’’ Dunn said.
“He was really unlucky first-up on a heavy track, so if the track is soft it shouldn’t hurt him, he won second-up then the other day he got stuck and missed the boat a bit.
“He’s quite a nice horse, he had a good trial the other day and I’m happy with him. He should be hard to beat.”
The Murwillumbah trainer said while Cranky Harry’s last run was over 1350m he believes the mile will be right up his alley.
“I don’t think it will be a problem, he has a relaxed racing style and I don’t think a mile will be an issue,’’ he said.
“He was almost looking for a mile last start because he didn’t put himself in the race and that’s what cost him. He didn’t show enough early speed to find a spot and couldn’t take advantage of his inside gate.”
Stablemate Perovic provides Dunn with a worthy back-up though he concedes he’s not bringing the same strength of form into the race as the favourite has.
The three-year-old was formerly trained in Victoria and scored at his third start for Dunn in a 1523m Class 3 at Lismore almost a month ago.
“He was very good winning last start obviously coming out of not as strong a race as Cranky Harry,’’ he said.
“His first two runs for me were disappointing but he really stepped up last start, he was three deep the trip with no cover and won convincingly.
“My concern with him is maybe it’s not far enough, he might want to go further already. If he reproduces what he did at Lismore he will run well.”
Consideration was given to waiting until an 1800m Highway in two weeks but Dunn said when Perovic drew well it was hard not to make the trip.
– Racing NSW
