Dunn saddles first metropolitan runner

Dunn has gone back to basics with Mr Dependable who will run in the Marshall White Handicap (1600m) on Saturday.

Mr Dependable spent most of his racing life trained from a box on-course at Randwick, but Dunn has switched that around with the gelding now spending time out in the paddock.

“Since coming to me I’ve tried to give him a different approach to training,” Dunn said.

“Previously he was in a box in a city environment whereas now he’s getting trained out of a paddock.

“I’m trying to keep the workload to a minimum and his jump-out at Pakenham last week suggests that hasn’t affected him and that he’s got a great lung capacity.”

Mr Dependable has not raced since finishing last at Randwick in January and Dylan Dunn said he did contemplate starting the gelding first-up over 1400m.

But there is method in choosing the Saturday’s 1600m contest.

“Our clients were happy to purchase him to try and win some country cups and he fits in perfectly for that,” Dunn said.

“In an ideal world we would have taken him to the 1400 metres first-up for which I think he would have been sharp enough.

“But the reason we’ve gone to the mile is we’ve got to get him fit enough to go to the 2000 metres second-up in the Apsley Cup (at Edenhope next month), so Saturday will be a good lung opener.

“I’m really excited to get him to Sandown as it will be my first city runner.”

A former successful jockey, Dunn saddled his first runner at Cranbourne last December and is still in search of his maiden win.

After two runners at Kilmore on Thursday, Dunn has saddled 24 runners, for nine placings, at a place strike-rate of 37.5%.

“I’m not too disheartened at the moment and when we do get that first winner it will be well-deserved as we have been working hard,” Dunn said.

“The thing is the horses are racing very consistently. A lot of the horses that we currently have in the stable are cast-offs.

“As a young stable we need horses up and going and to get the most out of them as we can.

“We spent up at the sales this year and those upcoming two-year-olds, hopefully, that is where the stable will hold its own.”