Dwayne Dunn has failed to peg back the lead of Craig Williams in his bid for a first Melbourne jockeys' premiership.

Dunn had the opportunity to eat into his rival's three-win margin with a good book of rides at Sandown on Wednesday.

Williams missed the meeting through a suspension from Flemington last Saturday and returns at Caulfield on Saturday.

Both riders have full books of nine rides at the final metropolitan meeting of the season.

Dunn had four placings from his eight rides on Wednesday with Riyadh finishing closest, running a long neck second to Sir Lopez in thebigscreencompany.com.au Handicap over 2400m.

"I could feel Craig pulling on his tail," Dunn said.

"That's why I was kicking, trying to get him away."

While disappointed he didn't land a winner Dunn was pleased that the horses he rode were given their best chance.

"I had a few darts to throw but didn't hit the dart board," he said.

"The Hawkes horse (Katswiri, third) got lost around the turn but finished off well and the first two-year-old (Ponte Roma, third) did its best.

"You just need those horses to land for you but it wasn't pilot error which was good."

Needing to ride four more winners than Williams on Saturday, Dunn has all but conceded defeat.

"It would have been nice to go into the last day close and make a real battle of it but it's pretty hard to make up four when you're struggling to ride ones and twos," he said.

"It's been a great year and I can reflect on that and be a proud dad with what Dylan (champion apprentice) has achieved.

"I'm not getting any younger but I'm still performing at a high level."

Dunn said the day that hurt his chances was last Wednesday when the races were abandoned after one event because of the state of the track.

"The way the track presented and was going to race I had horses that were ready to fire," Dunn said.