Jacob Dunn claims first Group 1 at Alexandra Park

By Michael Guerin

The Young Gun Finals could hardly have been better named at Alexandra Park on Friday night.

Two unbeaten winners in Daisy Bay (filly) and Tour Party (colt) driven by two of the rising stars of the industry in Jacob Dunn and Carter Dalgety respectively.

Both sons and grandsons of harness racing legends, young men whose future potential is only outshone by their tremendous heads of hair.

But for all the similarities between what their horses and drivers did at The Park, Daisy Bay has to narrowly trump Tour Party as the juvenile story of the night.

Because while Team Dunn trained six winners at home base at Addington, what mattered to them most was Jacob’s first Group 1 driving success just a year into his career.

Already an Alexandra Park regular after moving north, no small achievement in itself for a Canterbury harness racing boy, Jacob has quickly made the north and Alexandra Park winner’s circle his home.

He had to show the family ability to get Daisy Bay home too as she had only had the one start and few opportunities to show gate speed so Jacob had to find some gate speed without getting her revs too high.

He did that perfectly, leading then trailing and taking the passing lane for the most important win of his career.

Dad would have been proud watching on at Addington, Grandad was beaming in the Alexandra Park winner’s circle and mum Jenna had the look only mothers can on their faces when they kids make them proud.

Hell, even Uncle Dexter would have been proud of that drive.

“To win a Group 1 is special but to do it is the family colours even more so,” said Jacob.

You get the feeling it will be the first of many.

Carter Dalgety has already started collecting his Group 1s and the win of Tour Party was expected but the exciting part for him is what the untapped colt’s future holds.

It is rare for juveniles to start their careers in two different islands with three huge-margin wins.

A lot can change between now and the end of the season but Tour Party is bred to get better with age. 

Then again, so too are Carter Dalgety and Jacob Dunn.