Dunn pilots Got The Chocolates, the heavy favorite for the $300,000 Garrards NZ Derby at Addington tonight (9.07pm), even if he is up against Marketplace, who have been considered superior for much of the past year.
That has changed in their last three clashes and Got The Chocolates got the final blow in their personal battle when sitting outside Marketplace last Friday, beating him in the $500,000 THE VELOCITY final race.
That brings their personal scorecard to 9, all after 18 clashes and for over a year of meeting each other, when Got The Chocolates hasn’t won, he has finished second – with one shocking exception. That was in April in the Northern Derby at Alexandra Park, the only other time the pair have met over a staying distance like tonight’s 2600m mobile.
Marketplace ran away with that Derby while Got The Chocolates dropped out to finish seventh, but Dunn says that’s not indicative of what to expect tonight.
“That was my fault in the Northern Derby,” says Dunn.
“I had a chance to take the lead early and kept going for far too long and he didn’t want to get back to me so he loosened himself.
“But that won’t happen this week and I think he’ll love the distance.”
The big question tonight will be whether, if Marketplace leads as expected, driver Craig Ferguson will opt to hand that role to Got The Chocolates and try to beat him on speed rather than stay in front and let the favorite hammer him over the final 800 metres.
Got The Chocolates has to be the favorite after their results this spring, but they should probably be closer to the market at $1.40 versus $2.60 when you consider their overall records.
Dunn finds himself in another apparent two-horse race in the NZ Trotting Oaks tonight, with Ya Rite Darl in second place alongside last Friday’s THE ASCENT closing race winner Tracy The Jet.
“The draw looks good because if we can’t lead, we have to be able to follow,” Dunn said.
“My filly was jogging when she galloped last week and I think she can push Tracy The Jet very close.”
Last week’s Nevele R Filles Final winner from Celestial Sea faces another second line draw in the Garrards NZ Oaks, a deep and even classic where any of six or eight fillies could win depending on pace or luck.
“She had a tough draw last week but it turned out well, while it’s hard to predict what kind of run she’ll have this time.
“She can win again, but it won’t be easy.”
Team Dunn can start the evening with a win in the feature race while Petite Armor starts the odds in the Touchdown Car Rentals Trot for two-year-old fillies.
“It took a really nice horse (Kyvalley Ray) to beat her last week and he’s not there this time, so she deserves to be favourite.”
I Dream Of Jeannie (R4, No. 14) gives the stable a double-figure bet on the mares’ trot, while Dunn says Scrunch (R12, No. 3) is one of his better odds on the busy night of the final race.
“And we have Its Tough in Christian Cullen and he is flying, but we didn’t expect the field to look like this, with Kingman and a few other open class horses, so he is really up for it.”
HOW TO GET TONIGHT’S ADDINGTON FEATURES
Race 2, Petite Armor (No. 1): Tough to get past the favorite after being beaten last week by a good male trotter who isn’t there this time. No long odds, so maybe best in a multi.
Race 4, I Dream Of Jeannie (No. 14) and Hidden Talent (No. 16) split bet: Huge handicap field, so backmarkers risky, but they’re racing in the open class and both are in double figures. However, don’t get carried away because it is an incredibly tough race.
Race 5, Ripples (No. 9): Tough filly who didn’t have much luck last time and gets Luke McCarthy in the sulky. $3 a fair price on a small field.
Race 6, Tracy The Jet/Ya Rite Darl resolved quinella: the Australian filly should lead and win from the ace after winning The Ascent last week and Ya Rite Darl can go straight on her back. This is what the quinella looks like and if that doesn’t pay enough for you, the $2.90 for Dash Dosh Top 3 is another option.
Race 7, Arafura (No. 5): Really tough race with a couple of tired fillies from last week and Captain’s Mistress joining from barrier 1, but with hardly ideal preparation. Arafura came super wide in the Nevele R Final last week to win Northern Oaks, so he gets the honor of staying.
Race 8, Youneverknow (No. 6): Make no mistake, Meant To Be is the best of these and the one to beat, but his $2.15 is no loot from the second row, while Youneverknow continues to improve and his $2.90 top2 and $1.90 top3 are both very attractive if you don’t want to back him to beat the favorite.
Race 9, Bettors Anvil (No. 2): He won’t beat the two superstars Got The Chocolates and Marketplace, who are favorites in that order, but Bettors Anvil has the gate speed to reach markers, follow them and finish in the Top3 and his $1.60 to do that is a multi-must.
Race 10, Kingman (9) and Better Knuckle Up (6): There are two ways to go about this. Firstly, the TAB is giving a $1.80 Box Seat Boost for Kingman when he’ll probably pay $1.30, so that’s a gift for the NZ Cup winner. But Better Knuckle Up was a huge fourth after last in the NZ Cup, with Leap To Fame and Merlin, between him and Kingman, so his $2.40 price for Top3 is very fair.
To see Friday’s fields click here
Through Michael Guerinfor Harness Racing New Zealand
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