James Dunn wins first drive at Addington

By Mike Love 

James Dunn joined some elite company with his first win at Addington on Sunday.

The 30-year-old was victorious with the Mitchell Scheuber-trained Justification in the Avon City Ford Mobile Pace.

In doing so he joined the likes of Sam Ottley (Oamaru, 2008), Carter Dalgety (Oamaru, 2021) and Harrison Orange (Alexandra Park, 2024) to win his first race with his very first race day drive.

“It was pretty exciting,” said Dunn of the win. 

Dunn, a cousin of champion drivers Dexter and John Dunn, returned to New Zealand recently after a stint in Australia. 

Prior to his stint, he notched up 47 winners in New Zealand while co-training with his father Geoff Dunn (pictured above). Just this week he has also started a new job working for Hayden and Amanda Cullen. 

Dunn rolled forward from the gate with the four-year-old Bettors Delight mare, sitting parked on a slow tempo. 

From there, Dunn showed poise to keep Justification relaxed before asking the mare for her best effort up the straight, eventually holding on to secure the win by half-a-length from runner-up The Seamstress. 

“She gave me a really good feeling in the warm-up. We landed parked, and Tom Borcoskie was rating his one really well in front, so I was pretty happy to just sit there.”

“I pulled the plugs at the 500 metres, and she kicked pretty well. She did it easier than it looked.” 

Dunn attributes the performance of Justification to trainer Mitchell Scheuber, who picked up his second career win, following on from My Ten Guitars in February. 

“We’ve been best mates since we were about 14. He was the best man at my wedding. He had Justification right on the day.”

“She hasn’t been easy, Mitch was able to figure her out. She wasn’t really trying too hard most of her life. So he’s done a great job.”  

Justification may now head to a New Zealand Junior Drivers Champ heat at Ashburton this Sunday. 

“I don’t think going up a grade will worry her. She’ll probably go a bit better when the speed is on.” 

Other highlights on the programme included Chocolate Angus winning for trainer/driver/owner Murray Alfeld. Alfeld took a break from race day driving for 10 years, and has now won two from eight this season, both with Chocolate Angus while Touch N Go nabbed a well-earned win for trainer Brian Zampese, driven by John Morrison. That was Touch N Go’s second career win, after placing at his previous five starts. The win also gave Morrison a driving double after winning with Woodlea Rocks earlier on the programme.