Sea King, a Group 3 winner, will make his first appearance under new trainer Matt Dunn in the $200,000 Listed Christmas Cup (2400m) at Royal Randwick this Saturday. Transferred from England’s Newmarket stable after his spring campaign, the gelding has acclimated well to Dunn’s Murwillumbah base.

Previously trained by Harry Eustace, Sea King impressed in his Australian debut with a Group 3 Bendigo Cup win but struggled in the Melbourne Cup, finishing 14th. Now in Dunn’s care, he has shown notable improvement. “He’s a lovely horse. All he has done is put weight on and improve. He’s happy,” Dunn told racenet.com.au.

Adjusting to new environments posed early challenges, with Sea King initially unsure about swimming pools and the beach. However, Dunn noted his progress, describing him as youthful and inexperienced despite his record.

Jockey Nash Rawiller, who rode Sea King in a strong trial on the Gold Coast, will guide him in the Christmas Cup. Dunn sees the race as a promising starting point. “We don’t have a long-term plan with him just yet. I think he will run well,” he said.

Sea King’s debut under Dunn will be closely watched, with optimism surrounding his future in Australia.

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