Champion reinsman Dexter Dunn will resume driving at Forbury Park on Thursday night with the talented pacer Titan Banner among his full book of drives.
Dunn has been on vacation overseas for three weeks and during that time drove four winners (two pacers and two trotters) from eight drives over two days at the major race meeting in Ireland at Portmarnock Raceway, near Dublin.
He also visited Belgium, Spain, England, Croatia, France and Dubai.
He arrived home on Tuesday and was back driving track work at the stable of Cran Dalgety at West Melton the next morning.
The stable has his star drive, Christen Me in great shape for a fresh campaign Christen Me, aiming at the $750,000 New Zealad Trotting Cup in November, finished third to stablemate, Mighty Flying Mac and Lewy Risk in a trial at Motukarara on Tuesday.
Mighty Flying Mac (20m) won by half a head from Lewy Risk with half a neck to Christen Me (30m) over 2600m in 3.19.1, the last 800m in 57.5.
Dunn, the leading New Zealand reinsman the past eight seasons, has not driven in NZ since the Rangiora meeting on July 26. His brother, John has been making the most of his absence, leading the premiership with 14 wins in the first three weeks of the new season. Dexter should make light of that “handicap”.
Dexter finished 103 wins clear of his nearest rival with 216 last season.
He has six drives on a seven-race card on Thursday with the other race for junior drivers. Dunn won 42 races at the 21 meetings on the Dunedin track last season, highlighted by seven wins (six in a row) from 10 drives on May 8.
Bobbins, whom Dunn drove to win at Forbury Park on May 20 is among his drives on Thursday, along with Titan Banner, whom he drove in three of his five wins from 10 starts last season.
Dunn drove Titan Banner to win first up at Forbury Park last September.
Trainer Graeme Anderson has had Titan Banner at Forbury Park for two workouts in the past month.
Titan Banner finished a close third to his stablemates, Ballindooley and Starsky’s Dream over 2200m (mobile) in 2.48.4 on Friday. Ballindooley (c8), a NZ Cup entrant has not raced since November.
The 8yr-old was restricte to two starts last season.
Another stablemate, Highview Illusion, won his workout in 2.46.2, displaying a high standard of fitness for race 3 on Thursday night.
He was driven by Rory McIlwrick, who has retained the drive. High Illusion has won two workouts since a win at Forbury Park on July 17.
McIlwrick ended a two and a half year stint with leading Southland trainer Nathan Williamson on Friday and he said he is weighing up his options.
Bobbins, who is starting afresh, had one win in three starts. She is trained by Tony Stratford, who has won races at the outset of the season with Ultra Shok (two) and Sally Machlennane.
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