Dunns bag four on big Friday night at Addington

By Michael Guerin

John Dunn knew things were about to come right.

He even hinted at it right here on HRNZ on Friday when looking forward to the Addington meeting in the daily preview.

But even he admits the stable’s four-win haul was a pleasant surprise heading into the spring.

This time last year it wasn’t anything special to see Team Dunn, made up of Robert and John’s wife Jenna, winning strings of races at Addington on a Friday night but they have been very open about 2025 being more of a battle.

“We started the year with some horses on their mark and then we had a bug through some of them so we put quite a few aside and started again,” he explains.

“But those horses had been working up well and we are seeing the results of that now.”

The winners were all vastly different but impressive.

Rustenburg was big and strong in front wearing the colours of co-owner Ricky Herbert, colours which were in turn used by his father the great Clive Herbert.

That meant on occasions they were worn by the great David Moss, who Clive trained on and and off.

So Rusterburg won’t be the biggest or best horses to wear them but he is racing like he could develop into a fun Country Cups type horse.

Next up for the Dunns was Always B You who was quite stunning winning a hot mares race with a slashing late run.

“She just keeps getting better and we have been setting her for those new mares races but the way she keeps winning she might not be eligible for a couple of them soon,” says John.

Handy trotter Bounce N Beyond overcame a 20m handicap to bolt away with the intermediate trot while Candy Cane could hardly have been more impressive winning her maiden in the hands of Riley Harrison.

The four-timer put rival trainers on notice that the black, white and red colours are to be feared in the months ahead as the intensity of the harness racing season goes up a notch or three as some of our major stables awake from their winter slumber.

Also looking very awake on Friday night was Jumal, the exciting juvenile remaining unbeaten when downing Stumblin In and a luckless Zeus Lightning in what is going to be a hot form race.

Jumal was gifted the lead early but still paced his last 800m in 55 seconds, the final 400m in 27 seconds.

“It was the perfect return and while they were closing on him Sam [Ottley, driver] said he was shutting off,” says trainer Steven Reid. 

Jumal is being set for the Harness Million on October 10 and then the Sires’ Stakes Final on Cup Day.

“I haven’t even thought past that but I am stoked with how he is going.”

There were plenty of other eyecatchers on Friday at Addington too, Tact Teva winning his comeback like a horse with a future while Moonlight Blood was sensational in the handicap pace, his nose victory denying the Dunn’s five wins for the night.

It was Moonlite Blood’s third win in four starts this campaign and he is developing into one of the more exciting horses to wear the white and blue colours of the big man Andrew Stuart.

Add in a class performance from Landman in the juvenile trot and Tactical Bid smashing them earlier in a lower grade trot and plenty of Friday’s winners will be winning again soon.