Donat has run second in races in Melbourne a handful of times over the journey, including with Tatunka at Caulfield in July, and would love nothing better to do it with a horse he bred himself from his tough little mare Paramytha (Tuscany Flyer).
Donat also bred Paramytha, winning half a dozen country races with her around a decade ago, nursing her through ongoing knee problems. She was out of another mare which Donat raced called Black Pepper (Indian Raj), who was also talented enough to win six races in the country, but wasn't able to measure up in town.
Tatunka, a relatively lightly raced 5-year old, and a winner of five of his 18 starts, looks the one who could provide the breakthrough, albeit Donat has set him a big task on Thursday.
He was initially first emergency for the Melbourne Cup Carnival Country Final, a race which has built in status and prizemoney since being established in 2017. The race eve scratching of Mai Shiny Choice (Choisir) ensured Bob would not have a sleepless Wednesday night wondering if his big boy was in with a chance.
"He's got in, and he's got my lucky number, number 17, so I'm pretty happy," Donat told TDN AusNZ.
"He's got in, and he's got my lucky number, number 17, so I'm pretty happy." - Bob Donat
The only other question mark was over who would ride Tatunka, with Damian Lane looking to appeal a suspension incurred last Saturday. That appeal failed, but in a sign of how competitive it is for a ride during Cup week, Donat has a good back-up plan.
"I've got Damien Oliver to ride him now. I thought he was a pretty good standby," he said. "You know it’s Cup week when the managers are ringing you for rides!"
Tatunka is coming off an eight-day break since his third behind one of his rivals in Thursday's race, Highclass Harry (Magnus), in the final heat of the Country Final series at Bendigo.
"He pulled up a treat. He got ridden a little bit close the other day, so I will get him ridden a bit further back in the field. Flemington will suit him down to the ground, because he has had trouble getting around the track at Horsham and places like that. He needs a big track like that to show his best," he said.
Bob Donat
Measures up
In an open race, Tatunka is a $20 chance, but Donat feels he measures up well to those near the top of the market.
"If you have a look at Kaplumpich and those sorts of horses, he has beaten them home before. They are shorter in the market than what he is. He ran second to Tavidance that day in a pretty good race at Caulfield," he said.
"That Horsham run two starts ago probably makes him look a bit ordinary, but I made a mistake running him on that track, which didn't suit him at all, because I wanted to get him into his race."
Donat said the Country Final had come onto his radar after Tatunka strung together a trio of wins in May and June.
"I thought if I freshen him up, I can have him ready for it. I can't fault him in any way. The only thing we’d like to have would be a bit of moisture. I don’t think he'll make a fool of himself, put it that way."
"I thought if I freshen him up, I can have him ready for it. I can't fault him in any way." - Bob Donat
Donat, a bricklayer by trade, only has three horses in work, including Tatunka's brother Kwahadi, a 13-start maiden, who is building towards a first win.
"He ran a good race at Bendigo the other day. He goes well and he’ll be alright, but he needs to work it out mentally," he said.
The other horse he has is the recent Bendigo winner Red Cracker, who is also by Riverbank Farm's Redente.
Paramytha had a filly by Winx's (Street Cry {Ire}) half-brother Boulder City last year and has just foaled a full brother to Tatunka and Kwahadi.
"He was foaled three weeks ago. He's a beautiful looking foal. He's a bit finer than the other two," he said. "Paramytha is only a small thing, you wouldn't think she would have a big, strong looking bugger like Tatunka."
A long-awaited city success for 69-year-old Donat would continue the theme of Cup week at Flemington, after rookie trainer Denis Pagan won the G1 Victoria Derby last Saturday with Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) at age 72.
