The second of harness racing’s double-header at Addington is again shaping up as a battle between Blair Orange and John Dunn.
The pair were in dominant form as harness racing made its return yesterday, winning six of the nine races between them.
Orange became the seventh driver in New Zealand to have 2000 winners and finished the day on 2002 after winning three on the card, including hotpot El Dorado in the Dunstan Remembering Lazarus Mobile Pace 3YO+ R51-52 over 1980 metres.
Dunn had three wins, two seconds and a third. He won with double figure winners in races 2 and 3 with Comfortably Numb ($12.50) and Garry’s Legacy ($15.70) and then with the Thomas Twidle-trained Woodlea Diego ($4.60) in race 8.
For this afternoon’s meeting both again have a strong book of drives. Orange is a $2.05 favourite to win the Drivers Challenge, with Dunn at $2.25.
Among Dunn’s best drives will be Franco Niven, a $1.60 favourite in the Dunstan Race Mix Mobile Pace (R61-65 @ 7.19pm) while Orange will be on another short priced favourite in Fabrizio in the last of the night (Equifibre Mobile Pace @ 9.41pm).
One of the best races on the card looks to be the Dunstan Athlete Mobile Pace over 1980 metres (8.19pm) where Nandolo is the $2.40 fixed odd favourite ahead of the Orange-driven Mongolian Cavalry ($5.50).
