Dunns dominate on day one at Nelson

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

It was a Dunn-dominated day one at Nelson.

The Dunn's Diamond Racing won five of the day's 11 races at Richmond Park on Friday with John Dunn driving four of them.

The other win went the way of Riley Harrison with the Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained Candy Cane in the last. She bookended the programme, having won the first with the Tim Fensom-trained Carrera Kahu.

Among the day's highlights was the effort of one of the Dunns' stable stars, It's Tough.

He started 2026 the way 2025 finished.

The five-year-old made it eight wins in just his last 11 starts with his win in the $25,000 Nelson Pine Industries Nelson Cup. 

Starting off 20 metres he got away safely before taking the lead with a lap to go.

The $1.60 favourite then had to repel a late burst from Harrison John to just hold on to win the day's pacing feature.

It was a typically gutsy performance from the son of Bettor's Delight, who won seven wins from just 10 starts last year.

It was the fourth win on the day for driver John Dunn.

He'd earlier prevailed with Captain Tyron, One Over Da Line and Gone Surfin who just edged out Nothing But You in the first ever Tasman Empress heat for R45-60 Pacing Mares.

"That is the race of the day so far," said commentator Matt Cross as Gone Surfin just got home by a nose.

The top five - Gone Surfin, Nothing But You, Misty Blue, Always B Magic and Major Performer - have all qualified for the $35,000 final at Addington on January 23.

The day also saw the latest heat in the Trevor Craddock Seddon Trotting Series where the Tim Trathen-trained Nellie Doyle produced a big performance for driver Blair Orange to win the Dunstan Horsefeeds Handicap Trot. 

It was the fifth of 10 heats before the $30,000 final at Addington in March.   

The next Tasman Empress and Seddon Trotting heats will be held on Nelson's second day on Sunday.