An impressive Doomben win last weekend has trainer Matthew Dunn confident his improving four-year-old Care To Think is the horse to beat in the 2018 Magic Millions Cup at the Gold Coast Saturday week.

The Buffering winner Care To Think is right on track for a shot at the Gold Coast’s 2018 Magic Millions Cup on January 13. Photo: Steve Hart.

Originally the Murwillumbah-based horseman had both So You Think gelding Care To Think and his last start Gold Coast winning five-year-old Perfect Dare heading to the $1 million Restricted Listed Magic Millions Cup (1400m) on January 13.

He has since conceded that last year’s runner-up Perfect Dare would likely be running for second at best again this summer behind his stablemate.

Instead the son of Fastnet Rock will remain at a sprint distance for a shot at the $1 million Magic Millions Snippets (1200m).

“Perfect Dare was going to run this Saturday and then back up into the 1400m race, but he probably can’t beat Care To Think so there’s not a whole lot of sense in running two in the same race when I know which one will beat the other,” Dunn told Racenet this week.

“So Perfect Dare will have a soft trial at home on Sunday and then head to the 1200m.

“Jim Byrne can ride him in the 1200m and he races extremely well for him – I don’t know why but his best runs have been when he’s on his back.”

That leaves Care To Think as Dunn’s Magic Millions Cup contender in 2018, the consistent galloper out to extend his winning streak to five on the trot.

Boating a 50% winning strike rate over his 10 starts so far, Care To Think also has outstanding 1400m form with three wins and a second from four runs over the Magic Millions Cup distance.

He has his first run back at the Gold Coast since May of last year having backed-up from a winning trial at the track in early December for successive Doomben wins.

The latest was on December 30 in the $150,000 Magic Millions The Buffering (1350m) where jockey Jeff Lloyd guided him to a one and a half-length victory as the race favourite over the Tony Gollan-trained Most Important.

“The exciting thing about him is that every time he goes to the races he finds a new level,” Dunn said of Care To Think.

“What he’s doing now is really encouraging and all the signs are there that he’s a good horse.

“I don’t know how good he is but hopefully I’m asking myself the same question after he wins a Group I race one day.”

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