Promising local galloper Tradesman can build up his profile for a possible trip to the Eastern States when he competes in the Group 1 $1m Peters Investments-Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.
Dwayne Dunn, above, rides Tradesman in the Kingston Town Classic at Ascot. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Top Melbourne jockey Dwayne Dunn returns to Perth where he rode in the 1990s looking to win his first Group 1 race in the West and a good performance from the Robert and Todd Harvey trained Tradesman could see the lightly raced five year old head to Melbourne for one of the rich carnivals.
“I know in the back of their minds (the Harveys) they have an opinion that he could race in the spring carnival in Melbourne and this will be a telling test for him,” Dunn told the West Australian.
Tradesman has drawn barrier nine in the sixteen horse Kingston Town Classic field and Dunn is planning to rode a positive race and have the gelding in a handy position in the early and middle stages
“He’s sort of the new kid on the block. He’s only lightly raced and has a very good record. There was quite a big push that he was unlucky last start.
“In a lot of his races, he sits forward. Hopefully, I’ll put him in the hot spot and see if he responds.”
Tradesman is the winner of seven of his fourteen race starts and worked his way up through the grades before Team Harvey tested him at the highest level last in the Group 1 $1m James Boag’s Premium Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 19.
Dunn replaces local jockey Troy Turner who settled Tradesman in the second half of the field in the Railway Stakes before he ran home strongly to finish fifth, four lengths behind the winner Scales Of Justice.
Dunn was impressed with that effort and said that the step up to 1800m of the Kingston Town Classic would definitely suit Tradesman.
“His first try at that level was excellent. He’s looking for the 1800 and he has drawn well in nine,” Dunn said.
“He’s in the race with a super chance, but it’s a pretty even field.”
Tradesman will be virtually facing the same field in the Kingston Town Classic with all the first four placegetters of the Railway Stakes, Scaled Of Justice, Good Project, Perfect Reflection and Mackintosh, lining up again but under the weight for age conditions this week.
“I was a little bit concerned about the jump from a handicap to weight-for-age, but when you look at most of the field, everyone is affected so that levels it out,” Dunn said.
Tradesman was well supported in the Railway Stakes and was sent out as one of the top fancies at $6 and is also well in contention again for the Kingston Town Classic at $9 with Ladbrokes.com.au.
Railway Stakes third placegetter and last year’s winner Perfect Reflection is the current $4 favourite ahead of Scales Of Justice and multiple Kiwi Group 1 winner Kawi who share the next line of betting at $5.50.
