By Matt Markham
History may just await the incredible talent that is Dexter Dunn by the end of this week.
With just two weeks of the season remaining the current World Driving Champion is just five wins from achieving 221 wins for the season – a New Zealand best for either a jockey or a driver.
In any normal circumstances you’d back him to pick up those five wins, but there’s a catch.
Dunn only has the two South Island meetings this week at Addington and Rangiora to pick up those five wins before he heads off on a holiday – including a driving stint in Ireland.
So the pressure is on. Dunn isn’t too fussed if it doesn’t happen. He’ll be trying his best, but he won’t be losing any sleep if it doesn’t.
After winning one race on Thursday at Addington to take his tally to 211 Dunn made good ground on the magical figure over the following two days of racing in which he picked up five winners.
At Forbury on Friday night he claimed a winning treble and then at Ashburton on Sunday he went two out of three to leave him heading into his last week on 216.
Dunn claimed his first win on Sunday on board the Cran Dalgety trained I Will Rock You.
The two-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven and Shakeilah had been solid in producing three placings from his previous three starts ahead ofSunday’s effort but go on the board in a dominant fashion.
Owned by BFJ Bloodstock Trust and Chrissie Dalgety, I Will Rock You is a brother of other talented performers, Say My Name and Artishake. Dunn found himself back in the winner’s circle a couple of years later when he was victorious on board Shezalegend.
A former Dalgety trained pacer, now in the care of Steve Dolan, Shezalegend was purchased by the same large group of owners who raced Mr Franklin who has recently been sold to America.
While Dunn’s deeds were notable on Sunday it was the performance of Smithy that stole the show.
The handy Jamie Gameson trained pacer lowered some talented opposition in the feature race of the day with a bold display in the hands of Craig Thornley.
The Mach Three gelding who is out of Brindsmead who won a race for Gameson has produced some solid performances this season against quality opposition and Sunday was no different with the three-year-old stopping the clock in a respectable 3:00 for the 2400 metre stand less than half a second outside the national record mark held by Pacific Blue Jean.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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