If the recent Country Championship Qualifier at Dubbo had gone on for just a few more metres, Dar Lunn feels Not For Export would have won the $150,000 race.
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And while he instead had to settle for third, the Dubbo trainer will now get the chance to race in the $400,000 Country Championship Final at Royal Randwick on April 1 after La La Loopsy was forced to withdraw.
La La Loopsy, trained locally by Peter Nestor, was the red-hot favourite for the Qualifier but was beaten home by underdog Stoneyrise.
A second-placed finish still booked him a ticket to the Final however injury has now ruined Nestor’s chance of three straight appearances in the rich event.
“I got a call from a steward in Sydney yesterday (Monday) and asked if I would be right to go,” Lunn said of Not For Export’s invite to the final.
“I said it was only his second-up run (at Dubbo) and I’m taking him to Scone on Sunday but if he pulls up alright and everything is going good we will be there.”
Lunn got the call after Nestor informed stewards on Monday La La Loopsy had was to head for a spell after suffering an injury to its near foreleg.
“Hopefully she’ll be back but it’s going to take a while,” Nestor saiD, adding his mare didn’t pull up well after the Qualifier.
“We gave her a week and gave her treatment and did what we could to see if we could get her right but its not worth it. It’s disappointing for the owners but that’s horse racing.”
According to Nestor, La La Loopsy faces at least four months in the paddock before she can return.
While Nestor was disappointed, it creates an opportunity for Lunn.
Not For Export’s result brought back memories for the veteran trainer after another of his horses, Playing Game, finished third in the 2015 Qualifier and missed out on the chance to race at Randwick by the narrowest of margins.
After going so close to a top-two finish twice, Lunn was over the moon about the chance to finally race in the final.
“It is exciting to have an opportunity to race for $400,000,” he said.
“It’s not too often you get that and after Scone he (Not For Export) will probably have one more run before Sydney.”
Lunn admits “it won’t be easy” in the Country Championships Final but added Not For Export was a horse on the rise.
“It was a really good run,” he said of the effort at Dubbo.
“If it goes for another couple of strides he comes second and if it was three or four more strides he would have run first because he was coming home. It was a really good run.”
After a 15-week spell, Not For Export returned with a seventh-placed finish at Mudgee before his third in the Qualifier.
“It was only his second-up run that day so he should improve further but he’s the type who needs things to go his way,” Lunn added.
“That’s just because of his racing pattern. He gets back and finishes off. He can really find the line but needs that bit of luck.”
The six-year-old, with two wins from 19 starts, has been nominated for the Benchmark 55 Showcase Handicap (1300m) at Scone on Sunday.
Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
