Aussie News : December 22

[Wandering Eyes]

In-form Dexter Dunn confirms details around the Ultimate Driver Challenge, Triple Eight wins again and memories of Maori’s Idol all feature in this week’s Aussie news.   

By Adam Hamilton 

Dexter Dunn will be seen driving in Brisbane earlier than most expected in February.

Dunn, who has the Entain slot in the new Ladbrokes Ultimate Driver Challenge, will drive at a lead-up with fellow North American-based champion, Yannick Gingras.

The Ultimate Driver Challenge consists of 20 races across two nights at Albion Park on February 21 and 22.

But Gingras confirmed he and Dunn would also compete at the standard Albion Park fixture on February 18.

“We’ll be there in time, so we will have an early spin around,” Gingras said. “It’ll be especially beneficial for me, but I know Dex has driven there before.”

Fittingly, Dunn’s last big Aussie win before moving to the US came at Albion Park aboard Let It Ride in the Group 1 Blacks A Fake on July 21, 2018. Dunn, the former 10-time Kiwi champion, heads to Australia in brilliant form, having had over 300 wins and $16.6m in stakes earnings in 2024. 

Dunn, Gingras, Swedish superstar Bjorn Goop and NZ young gun Carter Dalgety represent the international flavour in the series.

The Aussies confirmed in the 10-driver series are: Gary Hall Jr, Kate Gath, Nathan Dawson, Brad Hewitt, Pete McMullen and Angus Garrard.

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What a marvel former Kiwi gelding Triple Eight is.

Just days from turning 10, the Jess Tubbs-trained pacer thrashed his rivals in the Geelong free-for-all and clocked a slick 1min52.7sec mile in the process.

Triple Eight has won four of his past six starts and eight races this season.

Overall, he’s raced 151 times for 29 wins, 48 placings and is nearing $900,000 in earnings.

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Memories of the incomparable Aussie trotter Maori’s Idol came flooding back at Melton last night.

Exciting two-year-old trotter Almighty carried the colors made famous by Maori’s Idol to victory in the Vicbred Homegrown final for trainer Andy Gath and driver Kate Gath.

They are the colours of Bryan Healy, who used to drive Maori’s Idol for his father, Ric.

Maori’s Idol won 40 of his 46 starts with another four placings – many of them against star pacers – in the late 1970s.

Alrighty underlined his potential when he overcame an early gallop to zip home and still easily win the final in a 1min58.1sec mile rate for 1720m.

“He’s the first horse I’ve trained for Bryan and it’s quite a thrill given the Maori’s Idol connection and knowing what an amazing horse he was,” Andy Gath said.

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Young Deni Roberts said her recent Inter Dominion experience would make her a better driver and the stats say it already has.

Roberts, back home after spending much of the past three weeks in NSW where she drove  Minstrel to finish a mighty second in the Inter Dominion pacing final, stole show with a treble at Gloucester Park last Friday night.

Fittingly, Roberts opened her account with victory on the Team Bond-trained Street Hawk in race two, then followed with stablemate Tualou (race six) and Hold That Gold for trainer Bob Mellsop in race 10.

It was a huge night for the “girls” with wins in six of the 10 races. Jocelyn Young snared a double, starting with her own star mare Steno in the Group 3 Christmas Belles’ for mares and following with Hampton Banner for trainer Deb Lewis in race nine.

Maddison Brown chimed-in to win the free-for-all on classy Lavra Joe at just her second drive since becoming the new partner for Ray Jones’ gelding.

But the feature race went to trainer-driver Robbie Williams with former Kiwi gelding Brickies Dream, who led throughout at $26 and upstaged a strong field in the $50,000 Christmas Gift.

The star of the boys on the night was Dylan Egerton-Green, who trained and drove a double with Im Lightning Banner (race one) and Paul Edward (race seven).

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Top trainer-driver Amanda Turnbull, who is recovering from nasty injuries in a track work crash, had a tonic when she won two of the four heats of the time-honoured Inter City Pace at Maitland last Friday night.

First out was former Kiwi mare Shez Sweet Louise. Driven by Isobel Ross, the four-year-old found the front and was never in danger.

Ross also took the reins on Fashion Icon, who sat parked and easily won the fourth heat.

The other heats went to Seaton Grima’s former Kiwi filly Rakero Ice and four-year-old mare Sally Bigtime, driven by Grace Panella.

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Put a ring around the name Captain Perfect as one to watch in next month’s Victoria Derby heats.

The colt didn’t make any impact in the Breeders Crown heat and final, but is getting better with every run for Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin.

His strong win in last night’s Vicbred Homegrown final for 2YO colts and geldings was every bit that of a pacer going places.

Captain Perfect couldn’t muster the early speed to stop favourite and main danger Ronnie The Hammer from crossing him at the start, but driver Mark Pitt surged forward to take the front and then just kept running.

Despite Ronnie The Hammer having the cold drop on him, Captain Perfect easily held on to win by 2.5m in a scorching 1min52.2sec mile rate for 1720m, closing it out in 56.3 and 28.4sec.

Stewart and Tonkin also snared the quinella in the 2YO fillies’ final with Looks Perfect beating Ill Be Gone.

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