Dalton Shard into IRT NZ Trotting Cup as Dunns dominate

By Michael Guerin

What Dalton Shard did in the Allied Security Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington on Friday night earned him a guaranteed spot in the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup. But it is what he did the start before that convinced co-trainer Robert Dunn that Dalton Shard should take up that invitation.

The under-rated pacer downed stablemate Charlie Brown in the first major open class race of the second half of the season, with Macandrew Aviator third after leading and Double Time fourth, the winner expertly handed by Robbie Close.

Team Dunn trained five of the first seven home as the marker peg runners dominated the race, the 3:14.1 time for the 2600m standing start, the last 800m in a sizzling 55.5 seconds meaning those back in the field had little chance.

Much to the delight of his large group of owners on track, which includes the Patterson family well known in the industry through their Commodore Hotel ownership, the win earned Dalton Shard the first golden ticket into the New Zealand Cup.

Co-trainer Dunn doesn’t hesitate for a second when asked if they should take that up.

“He just keeps getting better and he isn’t finished yet so he will be there,” says Dunn.

It was a hell of a training performance from the stable not only because of the total domination but because Dalton Shard and Charlie Brown hadn’t raced since quinellaing the Country Cups Final at Addington, in reverse order, on May 10.

“That race told us these horses can be New Zealand Cup horse,” enthuses Dunn.

“That night they paced their last mile of 3200m in sub 1:54 and if they can do that in a New Zealand Cup they have a chance.

“They were just below the best three-year-olds and came back good country cups horses but that racing has hardened them up and they keep getting better.

“So we will keep sending them around in all these standing start lead-up races and they will get fitter and stronger.”

Dunn knows about serious horses and is blunt about there being two versions of the IRT New Zealand Cup this season.

“There is the one if Leap To Fame turns up and the one if he doesn’t,” he says.

“If Leap To Fame comes then I think we might all be running for second as he is one of the best horses I have ever seen.

“But if he doesn’t come then I think our bunch are up to most of them.”

Team Dunn dominated the feature races on Friday as they also provided the quinella in the XCM Basil Dean Trot when Mighty Logan held out Sunnys Sister after getting the lead early, the 27.5 second last 400m enough to see the leader get home.

“He is a horse who had a few tricks early in his career and was sent to us to utilise the beach training,” explains Dunn.

“But he has really improved this time in and like most trotters the more he goes around in this grade the better he will be.

“It is the same with Sunnys Sister. She is in the big time now and she needs a good six months of this to strengthen her up and toughen her up and then we will see how good she is.”

Others to impress at Addington included the very much improved Paul Nairn-trained mare Forgiveness while juvenile filly Without You was very good on debut for the Purdons and Blair Orange.