Sunday, 19 August 2012:
Dwayne Dunn will be watching his weight even more than usual this spring but still rates himself a long shot to get down to 49.5kg should All Too Hard run in the Cox Plate.
Dunn urged All Too Hard's supporters not to drop off the highly-rated colt despite the three-year-old being beaten in his season return in Saturday's San Domenico Stakes.
The Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas are All Too Hard's major spring aims but the Melbourne-based hoop admitted the Cox Plate, and All Too Hard's weight-for-age impost, was in the back of his mind.
"I would say I would struggle at this point in time (to get to 49.5kg)," Dunn said.
"It's a fair ask even though I do ride light towards the minimum weights nearly all year round.
"I do keep a pretty tight rein on my weight and that would be probably a little bit optimistic at this point in time I would have thought.
"Obviously if he was flying and he won those races that we may think he could win, you'd really have to consider it for sure."
All Too Hard was slow out of the barriers in Saturday's San Domenico Stakes (1100m) and couldn't reel in Snitzerland and Driefontein after they had an easy time in front.
But Dunn is still confident All Too Hard will play a major role in the spring and will be much improved for his first-up performance as he gets out to a distance more to his liking.
"Don't give up on him yet," Dunn said.
"We always thought he was a 1400-1600 metre horse ... and he probably raced a bit like that after bombing the start.
"He had a nice turn of foot at the top of the straight but then levelled out a bit late.
"The sectionals were pretty awesome though."
Dunn said physically All Too Hard looked terrific but believed mentally the colt wasn't totally focused at his first start since April.
"I think that will come now that he's had this run," Dunn said.
"It will turn him straight on and hopefully we will see him at his best at his next start."
