Got The Chocolates returns in "hard to predict" Group 3 at Addington

By Michael Guerin

Driver John Dunn admits he would like to try something new with Got The Chocolates when one of our most talented horses returns at Addington tonight.

But whether he can do that might be up to his rivals.

Got The Chocolates returns after a stunning second half to his three-year-old season in which he bested Marketplace in three straight races, including their epic clash in the Velocity.

That confirmed Got The Chocolates has an open class motor and an open class will to win but as tends to be the case with even the very good horses returning, driver Dunn is cautious.

“He has only had one trial and they didn’t go overly quick,” he says ahead of their return in tonight’s Group 3 The Legend That’s Martin Larter Free-For-All (7.40pm).

“It is a nice field with plenty of race fit horses and that makes it hard to predict.

“Obviously we went to war with our horse quite a few times last season and I don’t want to drive him that way every start.

“So I’d like to tuck him in at the start and drive him for speed but if they go too slow then I might have to go around in the middle stages.

“He can win but very clearly he will improve with the run.”

Got The Chocolates isn’t the only top horse returning in the Free-For-All with Alta Meteor fresh up for two months and his stablemate Ohoka Connor with their performances a possible early pointer to which way Stonewall go for their slot in the $1m Race at Cambridge's Night of Champions on April 10.

Alta Meteor would seem to have the inside running for that.

Tonight’s race also features a huge contingent from the Hayden and Amanda Cullen stable and any four of them could win without shocking but their big gun and the early favourite, also returning, is We Walk By Faith.

He developed into one of our really big names last season and with his gate speed and draw advantage he might get the chance to down the four-year-old.

While Got The Chocolates will be the focus for Team Dunn tonight John is looking forward to the debut of three-year-old trotter I’m Connected in Race 2 (5.35pm).

“We got him off Pat Driscoll and we really like him,” he says.

“If he wins this week we’d like to take him up north for the Trotting Derby at Alexandra Park later," says Dunn.

“On ability he will be very hard to beat but we all know three-year-old trotters can be a bit tricky fresh up.”