March turned out to be a bittersweet month for Dubbo trainer Dar Lunn. His five wins for the month included the all important Country Championship Qualifier at Coonamble with Elson Boy. The opportunity to run in the $1 million final at Randwick on April 6th was a career highlight for the jockey turned trainer. Sadly, his delight was to be short lived.
Elson Boy contested a “tick over” trial at Mudgee on March 31st and couldn’t have been more impressive. The following morning Dar was stunned to find his talented galloper standing in a corner of the box with his head almost on the ground. The horse was in a distressed state and appeared unable to extend his neck even slightly. Vets and chiropractors agreed it was a deep muscle strain extending from the neck into one shoulder. Dar’s worst fears were realised when it became obvious there simply wasn’t enough time to get him over the problem in time for Saturday’s Randwick feature. The trainer described his disappointment as gut-wrenching.
Dar had no inkling of the drama ahead as he posed proudly with the trainer's trophy after the Coonamble Qualifier - courtesy Janian McMillan Racing Photography.
On the brighter side Lunn’s five win haul for the month has earned him the Pryde’s EasiFeed Country Trainer Of The Month Award. Sensei Jacky got the ball rolling on March 4th at Cowra with Coriah Keatings in the saddle. Just four days later Dar landed a double at Dubbo with Miracle Day (Shayleigh Ingelse) and Elson Boy in a BM58 with Shannen Llewellyn using her 4kg claim. Then came Elson Boy’s thrilling Championship Qualifier win at Coonamble with Tommy Berry doing the honours. The trainer completed his March quintet with Character Witness (Jake Pracey-Holmes) 400 kms away at Lightning Ridge.
Dar Lunn is from a family of trainers and jockeys and by his own admission “knows nothing else but racing”. He had his first race ride at fifteen years of age and was still highly competitive in his late forties. The last of more than 700 winners was Spinning Yarns at Warren for his trainer/brother Garry in 2011. Dar won a host of western districts features but always said his biggest thrill was to win a race on Tilbatod for trainer Steven Bell at Brisbane’s famous Eagle Farm racecourse.
Dar with Tamworth apprentice Sophie Young after a win by Leaders Road at the Scone Cup Carnival 2015 - courtesy Bradley Photograhers.
Since making the transition to training fourteen years ago, Dar has maintained the kind of consistency he displayed as a jockey. His horses are well respected by punters wherever he participates on the vast western circuit. I hope the twelve complimentary bags of Pryde’s EasiPerformance will help ease the deep disappointment of missing out on a Country Championship run with Elson Boy. He deserves another crack down the track.
Sophie Young gets Leaders Road home in a BM75 at Scone 2015 - courtesy Bradley Photographers.
(Banner image - Elson Boy (Tommy Berry) holds out Gallant Star (Sam Clipperton) in the Coonamble Qualifier - courtesy Janian McMillan Racing Photography.)
