Even though top Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn won’t be aboard Deep Field in the Group 1 $500,000 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday he will still be riding the freak sprinter hard from the grandstand.
Dwayne Dunn is certain that Deep Field will make the grade stepping up to Group 1 company in the Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Dunn has ridden Deep Filed in three of his five wins and was due to ride the undefeated four year old at Flemington on Saturday but had to relinquish the ride after being suspended for careless riding at Caulfield last weekend.
Deep Field was sent for a short break after winning the Group 2 $300,000 tab.com.au Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on November 1 with Dunn in the saddle and will be making his Group 1 debut in the Black Caviar Lightning.
Dunn has a very high opinion of the Northern Meteor stallion and has no doubt he will make the grade at the highest level.
“Of course I appreciate the big jump the horse is making, but at the same time he’s very much a freak sprinter. A horse so gifted that we probably haven’t seen the best of him,” Dunn told The Sydney Morning Herald.
“The world’s his oyster. He’s laid back and he’s tremendously calm in whatever he does and that’s a terrific asset.”
“He has one of those lovely traits of being focused on what he’s doing come race day and then goes home and relaxes. That means he’s not worried about anything but winning.”
Deep Field is taking on five other sprinters in the small Black Caviar Lightning field which includes the world’s equal number one sprinter Lankan Rupee and three year old Group 1 winner Brazen Beau.
Lankan Rupee is the winner of four Group 1s, the Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield, the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, the T J Smith Stakes at Randwick and the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley while Brazen Beau took out the Coolmore Stud Stakes down the Flemington straight during the 2014 Melbourne Cup Carnival.
But Dunn is certain that the Team Hawkes trained Deep Field will have their measure.
“To be honest, I think he’ll win because he’s a superstar. He’s one of the best horses I’ve probably ridden but I’m not into making comparisons,” Dunn said.
“All I know is, I think he’ll make a pretty exciting move from the racing he’s been in to the race he’s going into.”
“He’s got a wonderful high cruising speed which is staggering, and he takes those abilities into his races which makes him all the harder to beat.”
The Ladbrokes.com.au market order for the Black Caviar Lightning has Deep Field at $2.15 holding a narrow margin over Lankan Rupee at $2.50 while Brazen Beau is marked at $5.50.
The other three runners are all at long odds with The Quarterback at $31, Watermans Bay at $41 and Fab Favola at $101.
