Dexter Dunn captured the Noel Smith Memorial Invitational Drivers Championship for the secon year running.
Champion New Zealand reinsman Dexter Dunn successfully defended last year’s title in the annual Noel Smith Memorial Invitation Drivers Championship conducted by the progressive Horsham Harness Racing Club on Monday May 20.
Reinsperson’s invited apart from Dunn were Victorians Chris Alford, Kerryn Manning, Daryl Douglas, Greg Sugars and Lance Justice who was a late addition after South Australia’s David Harding was unable to make the trip.
While Western Australia was represented by Chris Voak, NSW by Amanda Turnbull, Tasmania by Rohan Hillier and Queensland by Shane Graham.
Shane Graham snared the opening heat for three-year-old’s over 1700 metres aboard the Craig Knowles-trained Aces N Sevens/Cornelia Lombo gelding Seven And A Half.
Sent forward from the extreme draw to park outside Doey Doeback driven by Greg Sugars, Seven And A Half proved too strong in the run to the wire, defeating the pacemaker and Tearitup (Dexter Dunn) which trailed the front runner. The mile rate 1-58.7.
Heat two for C2 & C3 class over 2200 metres went the way of the Toby Ryan South Australian-trained four-year-old Bettors Delight/Slip Slop Slap gelding Caribbean Crest with Dexter Dunn in the sulky.
Not pushed from gate two, Caribbean Crest once balanced worked forward to assume control from Saabrina Miss and rated to perfection, kicked clear on straightening to score easily by 9.2 metres in 1-58.8 over Please Dont Talk ( Rohan Hillier - one/one at bell) and Ourcrowninn ( Shane Graham - one/two – three wide last lap).
Heat three the decider for C0 class over 2200 metres saw Kerryn Manning victorious for Kialla (Shepparton) trainer Steve O’Donoghue driving four-year-old Peruvian Hanover/Ailsa mare Maybe Better.
Burning away from gate three to lead with ease, Maybe Better was always travelling kindly and kicked away on the final bend to register a three-metre victory in 2-00.7 from Kankkunen (Amanda Turnbull) which trailed, with Guggenheim (Chris Voak - one/four – three wide last lap) third.
Dexter finished fourth aboard Forced Out after a cosy trip three back the markers to give him enough points to again take the series. Amanda Turnbull finished second and Kerryn Manning third.
Dexter takes back to New Zealand a Challenger Sulky as the winner.
The fast class event of the day – the Carbine Chemicals Pace for C4 & C5 class over 1700 metres was taken out by the Kerryn Manning trained and driven four-year-old Art Major/Petticoat Tales entire Night Affair.
Given a lovely passage from inside the second line trailing the hot favourite Discrimination which led from the pole, Night Affair gained an inside passage on straightening (no sprint lane at Horsham) to race clear over the concluding stages in defeating Jilliby Daphne (one/one) by 2.9 metres, with the Boort Cup winner Daylight Dan third. The mile rate 1-56.8.
