"I wanted him to come out of it feeling good and he did that," Dunn told the Herald.
"He loves the big track here and cornered really well. He definitely likes the big bends where he can keep trucking at full speed.
"So I think the trial and the experience, getting used to Menangle again, will do him some good."
Dunn allowed Christen Me to settle fifth in the eight-horse trial and he wasn't asked for a serious effort in the straight, working his way between horses to finish close up in third.
"I could have got a lot closer but that is all he needed and I am happy with where he is at." The trial was won by I'm Victorious, with the West Australian-trained pacer hardly out of second gear to clock 1:54.3 for the mile, the last 400m in 26.7.
He is trained by a former Olympic gold medallist with the Australian hockey team in Michael Brennan, who says Saturday's Mile needs to be "run upside down" for his pride and joy to have a chance. "I know I have a horse good enough to win," Brennan says of the former Kiwi pacer.
"But from barrier seven we need them to burn really hard early.
"If they do that it turns a lot of the pre-race predictions on their heads and the horses in the running line can come into play over the last 600m.
"But if they go easy the second 400m sectional and then come the last 800m in 54 seconds we could be facing mission impossible."
The New Zealand TAB has opened their market with Smoken Up the $3.80 favourite ahead of For A Reason at $4 and Christen Me at $4.20.
Meanwhile, trainer Mark Jones has changed tack with Master Lavros in a move that will boost the depth of the major trotting races in the north next month.
Jones had intended to spell this month's Dominion Hcp winner but will, instead, race him at Methven on Sunday week before bringing him to Cambridge on December 24 and Alexandra Park a week later.
"He is handling the racing well so he can have three more races and then have a break in January."
The major trots at the northern carnivals should feature the first three in the Dominion, with Master Lavros to be joined by Stig and Stent.
Confidence booster
* Christen Me trials well in preparation for the Miracle Mile.
* The TAB has him $4.20 to win Saturday's race, while he is even longer in Australia.
* Dominion Handicap winner Master Lavros will campaign in the north next month.
