Imported galloper Speed Gifted has rocketed into $9 second favouritism for the Caulfield Cup with jockey Dwayne Dunn comparing him favourably to 2006 winner Tawqeet.The lightly raced six-year-old maintained his unbeaten record from two starts in Australia when he impressively won Saturday's Spring Is The Season Hcp (1700m) at Flemington."I don't know what it is but he reminds me so much of Tawqeet," said Dunn who rode the imported Tawqeet to wins in the 2006 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick and
Imported galloper Speed Gifted has rocketed into $9 second favouritism for the Caulfield Cup with jockey Dwayne Dunn comparing him favourably to 2006 winner Tawqeet.
The lightly raced six-year-old maintained his unbeaten record from two starts in Australia when he impressively won Saturday's Spring Is The Season Hcp (1700m) at Flemington.
"I don't know what it is but he reminds me so much of Tawqeet," said Dunn who rode the imported Tawqeet to wins in the 2006 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick and the Caulfield Cup (2400m).
"He's got a bit of attitude. There's just something there, he doesn't show you anything on the track.
"He went around with a maiden horse who went around at Kilmore on Friday and he just beat it on the track so we can never get a real guide on how he's going.
"I knew the way he was in himself after the work I'd done with him and I knew he was pretty well cherry ripe.
"But he's done it the hard way which is a good thing as we are not one-dimensional, we don't have to go out the back.
"We can take up a spot or (if there is a good) tempo I think he's going to be better of coming from fifth or sixth. I think you've seen the real deal."
Sent out as the $3.30 favourite, the Montjeu gelding worked up from fourth early to sit second off race leader Leica Larrikin mid-race.
He went on for an impressive 1-3/4 length victory over the fast finishing Young Centaur ($41) with Vandalo ($11) a short-head third.
"The other jockeys know I'm on the favourite and they are going to make me do more work than I need to do," Dunn said.
"I probably made three runs on him and he was just far too superior."
Speed Gifted has 51kg in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and trainer Lee Freedman is looking to take the same path as David Hayes did with Tawqeet by aiming him at the Metropolitan Handicap on October 3.
Freedman said his next start would be in the Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday week and then he would look at the options which included taking him to Sydney for the Metropolitan.
The winner of the Naturalism is exempt from the Caulfield Cup ballot but is liable for a penalty.
"I'm quite impressed, the horse has got gears. He's quite an exciting horse," Freedman said.