By Jonny Turner
Few would deny Spellbounds victory at Addington on Friday night following her brilliant run in defeat behind Laver in his sizzling 1.51.9 mile win at Nelson recently.
The Robert Dunn trained four-year-old set the race’s hot speed before being caught in the shadows of the post to run second.
Spellbound gets a chance to go one better when she and stablemate Need You Now step out in mares’ company over 1980m in race 8.
Clearly fit and firing following her excellent last start effort, Spellbound shapes as the Dunn stable’s leading hope.
“It was a great run from Spellbound at Nelson,” Robert Dunn said.
“She is more forward than Need You Now, she has had to come down from Auckland.”
“She might need the run, she hasn’t raced since last month.”
“So, Spellbound on her run last week would be hard to roll, you would think.”
Korbyn Newman takes the reins behind Spellbound from barrier 6 with John Dunn to drive Need You Now from gate 8.
Classy at her best, Pres The Belle goes into race 7 well down on her best form.
But Dunn and son John have been working hard to get the mare back to her best.
She will race with anti-choke-device and it is hoped it can help her bounce back to form.
“We have had quite a few problems with her,” Dunn said.
“Johnny was happy with her work [on Thursday] so he is happy going into the race.”
“So all going well she will take a step forward now.”
“We have had a few problems with her and breathing is one of them and we have got it rectified.”
“And since we have done that she is a much better mare. “
Ned Kelly comes into race 3 needing a change of fortunes after being desperately unlucky in his last start at Nelson.
Luck was against the pacer again when he drew the outside of the second row of the mobile.
However, that is far from the end of his chances.
“He should have won at Nelson, he was travelling like a winner but he couldn’t get a run at all,” Dunn said.
“But he has got a second line draw so that will be a little bit harder.”
“He is still learning his craft, he will probably get back from the draw and get into it a bit later in the race.”
“But he is improving all the time.”
Korbyn Newman sticks with Ned Kelly after driving him to victory at Nelson two starts ago.
The Player comes into race 9 for driver John Dunn after capping his ever-consistent form with a late closing win at Rangiora.
Though he starts from the 20m backmark in his 2600m assignment the five-year-old is likely to produce yet another honest performance.
“He is off a tougher mark off 20m,” Dunn said.
“He is such an honest horse, his record is so good.”
“He has only really been out of the money when he has copped interference or something has gone wrong.”
Got You Covered also brings brilliantly consistent form into race 4.
The three-year-old was just denied by Longview Lady in his last start at Ashburton after he dead-heated with Gilligan’s Island in the Motukarara Christmas Cup.
“He is going great,” Dunn said.
“He is not a leader, he never has been a leader and it was a sprint up the stretch at Ashburton.”
“But his run over 2810m on the grass was really tough for a three-year-old.”
“He dug in deep.”
John Dunn takes the reins behind Got You Covered, who starts from barrier 4.