Robert Dunn and the 1976 Great Northern Derby

On Friday the $200,000 Woodlands Stud Northern Derby Mobile Pace will headline a huge night of Group 1 action at Alexandra Park.

Its history dates back to 1916 and 50 years ago it was won by a driver called Dunn and a trainer called  Dalgety.

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk 

When Robert Dunn won his first and only Great Northern Derby he was a 21-year-old junior driver.

That was 50 years ago when the race was worth $20,000.

"There was a big crowd, the place was full of people and it was a big old gig," Dunn recalled this week.  

RJ, as he's known, has gone on to become one of the most successful trainers in the history of the sport in this country, guiding (among many others) the careers of Group 1-winning stars Master Musician, Sundees Son and Mainland Banner and in 2026 one of the country's most exciting talents in Got The Chocolates.

His 2255 winners puts him third on the all-time list behind Barry Purdon(2808) and brother Mark (2668).

He has won the trainers' premiership four times, two on his own account (2020 and 2021) and twice with daughter-in-law Jenna (2023 and 2024). They currently lead this year's premiership as well.

As a young man still finding his way, Robert Dunn was employed by one of the sport's legends in Jim Dalgety. He bred, raced and trained Bolton Byrd.

In 1976 Dunn had an extra reason to want to win the Great Northern Derby. A year earlier he was very unlucky with Bound To Be, owned by his father Allan and trained by Tommy Nyhan. He was blocked for runs in the big race and was deemed a certainty beaten.

Bolton Byrd's build-up to the Derby was anything but ideal.

"On the Wednesday leading up to the Saturday he had lumps all over him and he looked terrible," says Dunn.

Vet John May was then called in to try and remedy the problem.

"The next morning he was a different horse, he looked magnificent," says Dunn, "and I was a lot more confident about his Derby chances."

On Saturday February 7, 1976 Bolton Byrd started on the second line and Dunn had him slotted in the one-one before making his move at the 400 metre mark.

He left his rivals to it, beating Stanley Rio by two lengths with Direct Magic a distant third.

He ran 3:33.1 (mile rate 2:07.1) for the 2700 metres. A relative outsider he was 9/7 in the betting in a 14-horse field, paying $16 for the win.

"It was a great field with horses that would win New Zealand Cups, the Inter Dominion and the Auckland Cup," says Dunn."

Stanley Rio, for instance, went on to complete  the New Zealand Cup (1976) and Inter-Dominion double (1977).

Dunn was voted "Personality of the Night" by members of the working press for his Derby-winning drive.

Bolton Byrd topped his age group that year with six wins, one second and five thirds from 18 starts. Dunn drove him in all six wins that year. The combo also took out the Auckland Cup the very next season.  

Despite having issues with muscle soreness for much of his career, Bolton Byrd finished racing in 1978 with 10 wins from 42 starts.

Twenty five years after his Derby success Dunn finished driving (in 2001), after amassing 310 wins, and then very successfully handed the baton to sons Dexter and John.

Both are at the very top of their game, in North America and New Zealand, with grandson Jacob also now making quite the impact in the northern junior ranks.

Since Dunn's breakthrough win the Derby has been won by some out and out champions including Inky Lord (1989), Il Vicolo (1995), Courage Under Fire (1998) and Lazarus (2016) and a future superstar in 2025 winner Marketplace.

Ironically the country's leading stable does not have a runner in Friday's Derby  though there will be three Dalgetys involved, with the Cran and Chrissie Dalgety-trained Freeze Frame to be driven in the Group 1 by son Carter.

To see the field for Friday's $200,000 Woodlands Stud Northern Derby click here