Dunlani is a real deal Oaks contender

LADIES Day at Dowling Forest, last Thursday, may have unearthed a future Oaks filly, Dunlani, who won the Last Straw Hay Supplies Fillies and Mares Maiden Plate over 1600 meters.

The filly is owned by the Riddell family from Pootilla and syndicate manager, Kevin Riddell, said he bought the horse out of the Sydney Inglis yearling sales two years ago for $100,000.

“I got her for the family, my wife Prue and daughters Tara and Kate, on a recommendation from Jamie Inglis, and today I was pleased how the three-year-old filly handled the race because she is a little head strong, with a hot temperament, as a result of her breeding lines,” Mr Riddell said.

“Our horses are trained in Ballarat by Matt Cumani and at present we have seven horses in his stable at different stages of training.”

Jockey Linda Meech had to play a cat and mouse game with the filly, trying to get her mind on the job.

“I liked her the first time I rode her but she is very highly strung, she came out of the gates good and the delay due to another horse didn’t upset her,” Meech said.

“From the wide barrier I had to go forward, I got a good position but then I had to settle her down in the running, she has ability and the further the run the better she got, which is a sign she is the real deal.”

When the trainer said what her distance could be, Kevin started to get excited and both Cumani and Meech had to calm him down.

“Today was exactly what we wanted to see with Dunlani, it was fantastic, she is a little bit of a hot filly, temperament wise, and that’s why she wears the hood and ear muff’s, just to try and reduce the audio stimulus, but she certainly has ability, which we saw at Bendigo in February, finishing mid-field but the distance was too short for her,” Cumani said.

“We have been building her up to the 1600m and she has handled the distance. Linda rode her perfectly today giving her every chance on her wide barrier not to be content to be shuffled back and she positioned Dunlani perfectly, primed ready to take them on in the straight to win well, I am very pleased.

“Linda is hyped about the filly and the possibility of running on Oaks day. I hope she is not wrong or being over ambitious, we will certainly be programming Dunlani’s races centred around Oaks races in the future, and I just hope she can get there.

“Every state in the country has an Oaks race, so it would be nice to win an ACT Oaks or any other for that matter. The main thing is we have to keep our heads and take the racing as it comes. Today she has only won a maiden race at Ballarat so there are a few steps to go before she lines up in an Oaks field.”