In-form Dunn refusing to set 200 goal
Leading reinsman still has lots of chances to chalk up his third double century
Driving freak Dexter Dunn has learned his lesson so he won’t be setting himself a goal of 200 wins for the season — even though he looks certain to get there.
Dunn is the only New Zealand reinsman to drive 200 winners in a domestic season, having achieved the feat twice including his all-codes record 220 wins in 2011.
But after ending the last two seasons on 199 — a scarcely believable coincidence — Dunn says he is trying to keep the double century out of his mind.
“The last two seasons I have got to about this stage and realised the 200 was on so chased it a bit,” Dunn told the Herald.
But in the last couple of months I have felt that change and I reckon I am driving as well right now as I ever have.
Dexter Dunn, driver
“But that ended up with me getting 199 both times which annoyed me. Because I had set the goal I would rather have only got 195 because it wouldn’t have been so frustrating.
“So this season I will go about my business and if it happens it happens.”
The 200-win mark looked near impossible for Dunn a few months ago when he was tracking well behind record pace but he has been dazzling recently and is now up to 173 wins in New Zealand.
He still has 18 South Island meetings before the end of the season and barring injury or suspension will drive at them all as he has no immediate plans for a holiday or driving commitments in Australia.
While 27 wins in 18 meetings would sound a lot to almost any other horsepeople, Dunn’s strike rate, especially in the past two months, has been staggering.
His overall rate for the season is a win every 5.1 drives and he can expect around 160 drives from 18 meetings, which at that strike rate would put him over the 200 mark.
But without a hint of arrogance, Dunn says he is driving better than ever right now.
“I actually went through a period this season when I wasn’t driving that well,” he said.
“I am not sure whether it was too much travel or the fact I was back and forth between two countries but I was doing some stupid things in races.
“But in the last couple of months I have felt that change and I reckon I am driving as well right now as I ever have.
“I am not sure if the horses run any better for you when you feel like that but it makes me more confident.”
That includes two perfect winning drives on Sheemon and Franco Nelson at the Harness Jewels 11 days ago.
His winning rampage has seen Dunn’s recent strike rate drop to around a winner every four drives, which would mean with at least another 160 drives for the season he would easily pass the 200 mark.
He is already past the $2 million in stakes threshold but has earned big money in Australia as well, where Christen Me won the Hunter Cup and was second in the Miracle Mile and Bit Of A Legend won the Breeders Crown in August.
“So, financially, it will have been my best season ever, which is pretty pleasing,” says the 24-year-old.
After piloting four winners from 52 drives in his first New Zealand season as a junior in 2007, Dunn has averaged 187 winners a season since to take him to 1316 career wins in New Zealand. That puts him on track to join the elite 2000 win club in just four years at the age of 28, a club whose only other members are Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry, Ricky May and David Butcher.
Dunn has shelved any ambitions to return to the United States to live and says he travels enough to Australia now to have no need to move there permanently.
“Things are going well but some- times it gets tiring. Then I have to remind myself this is my job and I am lucky to have so many opportunities.
“But between October and March, I would spend more time away from home than I do here.”
Hence the wonder horseman has no inclination to start a training career. “One day, but at the moment it would only get in the way of my driving, which comes first.”