Romance to hit early for Dunn

Trainer Matthew Dunn believes his filly Deep Romance is a winning chance in the second event at Canterbury on Friday evening if one key thing happens before she’s let down.

“I’d love to have something to come off its back late because she’s got a really good turn of foot. Even if she could just follow one. That would do me,” Dunn said.

“It would be great if we could get a couple to lead. In both races now she’s got herself to the front too soon. I thought she was home the other day but they grabbed her on the line.”

Deep Romance comes into the 1100m race off a second placing at Hawkesbury a fortnight ago.

She’s only having her third start and Josh Parr rides her out of barrier seven and he will be instructed to ride her to her strengths which means she’ll be right in the firing line when they turn for home.

“She’s got plenty of natural speed and we’ll need to use it. She’s going to be in the first three. I can’t see her being any further back than that,” Dunn said.

“She’s not going to have to work too hard to get to a position and travel so I think she’ll be fine in the run.”

Dunn is also confident he’s placed her well in town after two solid provincial runs to date.

“She’s done a god job,” he said.

“She’s going into this race a little bit better again than what she was last start so she’s improved and is in good shape.

“It’s a step up into city grade but racing against the fillies is a help and I think she’ll like Canterbury.”

Meanwhile, Dunn races Holstein in Saturday’s Group 3 Spring Stakes at Newcastle after winning a midweek race at Randwick on Melbourne Cup Day.

“He needed to win because we were in a tricky spot with him and it was just good to see him race properly,” Dunn said.

“He still thinks we’re just here for fun and I think he’s going to be a nice horse in the future once he gets to 2000m.

“The talent is there, it’s just a matter of finding it.

“It would be handy to win this race so early on because I know how much is left in the tank.”