Another spring carnival tilt is the ultimate aim for Matthew Dunn’s recent stable addition Sea King, but the import’s Christmas Cup performance will go a long way to determining what path he takes to get there.
The six-year-old will make his debut for the stable in Saturday’s 2400m staying feature after a brief spring campaign under Harry Eustace in which he won the Bendigo Cup and followed with a luckless unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup.
Dunn was an interested observer from afar, knowing Sea King would be joining him after being purchased by a similar ownership group to the one that raced his Group performer Cepheus until that horse’s tragic death in a trackwork accident in September.
“We were looking to find another horse to replace him and Sea King is by the same sire (Sea The Stars),” Dunn said.
“But they’re completely different styles of horses, completely different attitudes.”
Sea King has had 20 starts but maintains a wide-eyed view of the world, Dunn likening him more to a juvenile than an experienced international campaigner.
“The first time I worked him on the grass, he shied at all the witches hats, he was a bit lost and new. The first time we took him to the beach he was lost, he’d never seen the ocean before,” Dunn said.
“But over the last two or three weeks he has really fit in well.”
So well that Dunn has decided to take him to Randwick on Saturday for the Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) where Sea King’s performance will help connections to shape future plans.
“Coming off a Melbourne Cup run, lots of horses are spent but all he has done is thrive since arriving,” Dunn said.
“We made the decision to give him one run here and then work out a long-term plan and long-term goals for him, whether we keep him rolling into the autumn or wait for the winter.
“Ultimately, we’d be looking to try to get back to Melbourne next year and the way we get there, we will work out after Saturday.”
Dunn will also start Caribbean King in the Highway Handicap (1000m), hopeful the combination of a low draw, ideal distance and good preparation can help the gelding sway the balance of his race record, which sits at three wins and 11 seconds.
“He runs second a lot doesn’t he? He has drawn a gate, had a big space between runs, it’s 1000 metre race, so lots of boxes ticked for him. He gets his opportunity, he just needs to hit the front as late as he can.”
