Trainer Patrick Payne wary of weight but has Group 1 SA Derby winner Dunkel primed for Pakenham Cup

Patrick Payne has Dunkel primed to continue his winning run in Friday night’s Pakenham Cup but is concerned about giving away weight to his rivals.

Trainer Patrick Payne has Group 1 winner and Melbourne Cup aspirant Dunkel in “fantastic order” going into the Listed Pakenham Cup (2500m) on Friday night.

Payne has Dunkel set to peak in the Cup-qualifying Roy Higgins (2600m) at Flemington on March 30 but the Pakenham Cup, held under lights for the first time, is an ideal springboard.

After a successful three-year-old campaign, culminating in a South Australian Derby victory, Dunkel, a winner of eight of 11 starts, has continued to furnish and improve.

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Dunkel was beaten first-up last November in a muddling run race but rebounded six weeks later with an emphatic win at The Valley.

He repeated the dose last month at Caulfield, albeit not as dynamic as the second-up win.

“He’s had a really nice preparation going into this run, I think the layout at Pakenham will suit him ideally, the downside is he’s giving weight away to quite a handy field,” Payne said.

Dunkel in full flight winning at Caulfield last start. Picture: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos via Getty Images

“We were pleasantly surprised with how he won at Moonee Valley two runs ago and that’s when we thought, ‘OK, maybe we start aiming a bit higher with him’.

“I don’t know whether he’s good enough (for a Melbourne Cup) but it’s the right time for it, he’ll be a five-year-old, correctly rated.

“We’ll put him in place to do that (qualify through the Roy Higgins) and if he’s not good enough we’ll find something easier for him later on.”

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The Pakenham Cup has come up strong in the mid-March timeslot as a lead up towards races like the Roy Higgins and Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) next month.

Dunkel is a $2.90 favourite with TAB from Ashrun ($3.40), Glentaneous ($7) and Major Beel ($9).

Dunkel takes out the Vale Verry Elleegant Handicap.

He makes it back-to-back [e-mail]/UGu57a2w01

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Ashrun finished fourth behind Dunkel last start, beaten 1¾ lengths.

“Ashrun ran fourth in the Melbourne Cup, second in the Geelong Cup, and ran fantastic first-up, he’s a real testing material,” Payne warned.

Australian Bloodstock managing director Jamie Lovett has interest in Ashrun, Glentaneous and Herman Hesse in the Pakenham Cup.

“Ashrun and Glentaneous probably look our best chances in that … the favourite (Dunkel) is going to be very hard to beat, he’s a very good horse,” Lovett said.

“I think with the weights, I think they’ll both get their chance. Herman Hesse has been racing very well, he’s probably just a grade below those horses if they’re all right.

“The Pakenham Cup is an ideal lead up for us to hopefully go into the Sydney Cup, certainly with two of them, Herman Hesse may look for a softer target.”

Originally published as Trainer Patrick Payne wary of weight but has Group 1 SA Derby winner Dunkel primed for Pakenham Cup