John Dunn wants his old mate Sundees Son to enter the millionaire’s club in style.
So while tonight’s $20,000 Woodlands Stud Free-For-All at Addington is only the start point of a huge autumn campaign, Dunn would love to win to stamp the historic occasion.
Sundees Son goes into tonight’s 2600m standing start on $999,667 in career stakes so will join the elite millionaire’s club regardless, a remarkable achievement considering he has never raced in Australia.
With so much more racing in front of him he could well end up a $1.5 million trotter, but the threshold he will cross tonight is an important one and is the main reason Dunn is driving at Addington tonight rather than Alexandra Park a week before their Derby and Oaks meeting.
“It is a big deal, even though he is going to become a millionaire whether he wins or not,” says Dunn.
“I'd like him to do it in style and while it is only the start of a campaign I’d like him to win.
“You want to win any race but I think it would be the appropriate way for him to become a millionaire.”
The two biggest obstacles to that are a wide draw, albeit not as bad being a standing start, and outstanding rival Muscle Mountain.
Muscle Mountain twice last year and Bolt For Brilliance last start have been the two horses occasionally able to beat Sundees Son in the last 12 months, always when they have been able to get in front of him and make him chase or sit in.
If Muscle Mountain can roll to the front tonight he will again take enormous catching, although trainer Greg Hope has voiced his frustration with a lead-up race being canned last week.
Had he raced then he would have a fitness advantage over Sundees Son, as Bolt For Brilliance did when he beat him on Harness Million night, but Dunn says Sundees Son is a lot fitter for tonight than he was for that clash.
“He is definitely fitter than last start when he missed a race and then a workout a week before,” says Dunn.
“He trotted really well at the trials last week and I think he is fit enough that if I want to move earlier than usual and head forward we can do that.”
If Sundees Son gets in front of Muscle Mountain he should join millionaire’s row with a win.
The Dunn stable also has Mataderos returning tonight after his booming spring campaign and he has had a minor throat operation since his close second to Sundees Son in the record-smashing Dominion in November.
“Because of that I think he will need a run or two to get back to his best.”
Dunn faces being the chaser in the open class pace tonight with Classie Brigade drawn the outside in the 1980m mobile, which looks almost certain to be led by One Change in what could be a trial for a slot in The Race for the latter.
If One Change leads he will take enormous catching and Dunn realises these days all races are hard ones for Classie Brigade, especially if he can’t get to the marker pegs.
“He will go well but it will be hard to win from out there.”
The race also sees the return of A G’s White Socks, who's having his first start since September, but he looked forward at the trials last week.
The meeting before the even bigger meeting should always be viewed with caution by harness racing punters but tonight’s Alexandra Park meeting still presents some great opportunities.
The 11-race meeting brings together many of the stars who will chase far bigger targets next Friday, including the Northern Derby and Oaks and the two Young Guns Finals, the first juvenile features of the season.
Tonight’s meeting also hosts an open class pacing sprint, which is the next round of Self Assured versus South Coast Arden, and while they don’t have a richer target next week they are getting closer to the $900,000 The Race at Cambridge.
All of which is why intent is so crucial tonight as some drivers will be wanting to head forward and dominate races, whether seeking to win and earn respect for next week.
But there will be those looking to not have too hard a run from poor draws and give their horse a headache before the bigger targets ahead.
The $30,000 Lincoln Farms Founders is one of the key examples tonight as South Cost Arden has again drawn inside Self Assured, who sat parked outside him last start but couldn’t get past him.
Trainer-driver Brent Mangos says South Coast Arden is even fitter for that last-start win and he intends rolling forward at some stage even though, being 1700m, some of his rivals may fancy tonight at their chance to roll the dice and not hand up.
But that still puts South Coast Arden in front of Self Assured, whose driver Mark Purdon says he doesn’t want to end up parked out and doing it the hard away again so will look to drive him with a sit and swoop late. Self Assured is still the best horse in the race but if Purdon is happy to drive for luck over 1700m punters can make a case for looking elsewhere, with South Coast Arden incredibly hard to beat if he was able to roll to the front.
Purdon is having similar thoughts with hot favourite Akuta early in tonight’s Derby Prelude.
He has had two hard runs his last two starts so could also be conservative at least in the first lap, which may make for very uncomfortable viewing for those taking his $1.35 odds.
Akuta may still be simply too for most in tonight’s field but there is enough talent in stablemates Franco Indie and Franco Mac and the free-rolling Beach Ball that Akuta won’t want even the slightest hint of bad luck.
He might still win but Akuta leading at $1.35 makes a lot more appeal than Akuta needing luck at $1.35.
The Oaks prelude doesn’t contain True Fantasy, who is expected to be back for next Friday’s classic, so has a far more even feel to it in her absence.
That and the fact the fillies are stepping up to 2700m for the first time next Friday would suggest in a small once the fillies sought themselves out there may be little pressure the middle stages, which plays into the hooves of those on the speed.
For all the depth and evenness in the field the most interesting filly in Remember Me, fresh back from a luckless NSW Oaks campaign and with junior driver Carter Dalgety taking the reins.
After a diet of Menangle racing and with the blinds added to her gear tonight she could be a huge factor in the race if asked to go forward as her pre-NSW form suggested she is the most talented filly in this field.
Tonight’s two juvenile races should also be dominate by those on the speed in Kahlua Flybye (R8, No.1) and Seve (R10, No.2), with debutante Beckham coming into the latter race with a big reputation but facing a very tricky draw.
The opinions expressed in The Forum are those of the author and may not be attributed to or represent policies of Harness Racing Victoria, which is the state authority and owner of thetrots.com.au.