Dwayne Dunn says the addition of blinkers is an extra tick for Inference as the galloper which was earlier this year declared as a potential "superstar'' by Michael Hawkes heads into Caulfield Cup battle on Saturday.
Inference made everyone sit up and take notice when he won the Group I Randwick Guineas in March despite Hawkes fearing he wasn't ready for the three-year-old classic.
That was Inference's last win but he hasn't had much luck in his last couple of runs as he has tried to make runs from the back in the Group I Underwood Stakes and the Group I Caulfield Stakes.
Dunn rode him on both occasions and the jockey who claimed the 2006 Caulfield Cup on Tawqeet will ride Inference again in the $3 million handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.
Inference is a $15 chance in latest Caulfield Cup markets and Dunn says he has a lot in his favour, including the addition of blinkers.
"He is a live chance in the race, he has been set for this race and he gets back to the handicaps which is a real plus for him," Dunn said, on Melbourne Radio RSN.
"I thought he had been acquitting himself well against the weight-for-age horses, hitting the line nicely and not getting beaten far.
"He has been just starting to get to top gear and he has been closed down his last two races.
"But he has been raced into fitness and blinkers applied will be a big bonus.
"His racing pattern won't change a lot but I would probably prefer to have three or four behind him than be last or second last.
"There looks enough speed in the race for him, a typical kind of Caulfield Cup.''
Dunn is also looking forward to the ride on the Hawkes Racing-trained mare Euro Angel in what he believes is a wide open edition of the Group II Tristarc Stakes (1400m).
Dunn also told RSN he thinks Euro Angle ($21) just needs to improve her attitude to be a threat.
"She gave me a torrid ride the other day (in the Group II Blazer at Flemington), she just wouldn't settle for me," Dunn said.
"If she switched off she would have had a lot better acceleration and have been able to take the runs when they appeared.
"I think she is up to the challenge if she does everything right, she just needs to bring her A-game and her best attitude."
