Lee Lunn will make his return to racing on Thursday and he's not ruling out the chance of an immediate victory.
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After just over two years out of the game, Lunn is back training and will have Verdi in action at Narromine Turf Club on Thursday.
After a career as a jockey, Lunn previously worked as a trainer for roughly a decade until other work commitments took precedence in 2019.
As someone who's had his own lawn mowing business, works at the Lazy River Estate and at Dubbo Turf Club, Lunn is someone who's always had his hands full.
But recently the desire came back to get back into what he enjoys most.
"I just needed something to do," Lunn said of his return.
"It's about juggling what you want to do. I just got sick of working so hard all the time so I thought I was getting too old and should just do what I want to do.
"I said to my wife I was sick of working. It's time to slow down a bit."
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The Lunn family is synonymous with racing in the region.
Lee's brothers Garry, Dar, and Michael are all experienced trainers while the latter's wife, Karen, also has her own horses.
Another brother, Wayne, is a well-known owner of plenty of gallopers.
Verdi is the only horse Lee has in work currently but the plan is to add to his stables, which have stood empty in recent times.
Verdi is one Lunn, his wife, family members and friends bought from Goulburn trainer Kurt Goldman.
"We didn't pay a fortune for him so we got lucky. There's nothing to lose," the returning trainer said.
Verdi will step out for Lunn for the first time in Thursday's Narromine USMC Class 1 Handicap (1100m).
The six-year-old last raced for Goldman at Cowra on July 10 and has a record of one win and two placings in 11 career starts.
Lunn has had the gelding for close to two months and has been working him alongside Praline, the promising mare trained by brother Dar.
Praline ran 12th in a Highway event at Randwick last time out but was only four lengths off the lead and has previously placed in the city.
"He's been working well with her so I thought we'd put him in an 1100 first up and see what he does," Lunn said.
"But it's a not a bad race when you go through it."
The race is one of eight to be run at Narromine on Thursday.
Mikayla Weir will take the ride on Verdi from gate four while the early favourite on Wednesday while the likes of the Cody Morgan-trained Trumped Up, Gayna Williams' Deponent and Hit The Rim, from the Dubbo stables of Clint Lundholm, are all leading contenders.
Verdi ran fifth at Cowra behind Whatsin, who has since run second to the impressive Kattegat at Forbes and finished second at Kembla Grange while before that he finished fourth at Canberra.
"I don't know if he's any champion but his form isn't bad," Lunn said.
" He's not legless because the Canberra form is better than ours. It and Goulburn and good.
"He seems to race on pace. Last time at Cowra he led, they were out by about six lengths, but if he settled fourth or fifth tomorrow it would suit me."
The first of eight races at Narromine jumps at 1.10pm.
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