Lesser light proves to be a surprise packet

In-form Horsham trainer-driver Aaron Dunn can be forgiven for wearing somewhat of a wry smile at the moment.

Dunn prepares one of Victoria’s most exciting pacers in Bondi Lockdown, but recently chalked up a first when he got the money with the only square-gaiter he has ever owned and trained.

Three-year-old filly Festive Azz (Bettors Delight-Lughnasadh (Artsplace) put the writing on the wall at Charlton three weeks ago with a solid third placing in race record time, then came out at Maryborough on Monday and scored easily in the maiden trot.

“She’s probably the most expensive one I’ve bought over the years,” Dunn said.

“I spent $53,000 at the 2019 Australian Pacing Gold sales – ‘Carl’ (aka Bondi Lockdown) cost me $20,000 and Festive Azz was $33,000,” he said.

“For a fair while there I was thinking that I’d got one very good horse with Bondi Lockdown, and the other one was a dud!”

And no-one was about to disagree with Dunn’s assessment!

Bondi Lockdown (Somebeachsomewhere-Without Guile (Art Major) has eight wins (including the Caduceus 3yo Classic Gr 1) from 20 starts and his potential is untapped.

Festive Azz, on the other hand, had three starts as a pacer and without sounding disrespectful, didn’t show a great deal, with her best being a sixth at Stawell last December, 26 metres from the winner.

“I just decided to chuck her out. Then when I went up north for the Queensland Carnival in July, the boys at home were just starting fastwork with her and I’ve got to thank Sam Barker because he was the one who convinced me to try her as a trotter when I got home,” Dunn said.

“I think my dad Barry may have had a trotter about 25 years ago and then two years ago he had Allawart Bob for a bit, who is owned by Laurie Young out at Murtoa. I drove him and he galloped at Hamilton and then came out and won his next two at Stawell and Horsham.

“But that’s about the extent of my experience with trotters. I don’t know that I was too happy about trying Festive Azz, but I do remember thinking that if she couldn’t trot fast enough, we could always switch her back to pacing.

“But I was also wondering about the dilemma of what do I do in regard to breeding if she didn’t make it at the races-does she go to a pacing or a trotting stallion?

“Anyway, I took her in to the track in town at Horsham and she went about two minutes with a last half of 59 seconds. That was the first time I’d driven her as a trotter and she felt okay.”

With a win and a place from four starts as a square-gaiter, Dunn is now feeling pretty good with the decision.

“At Maryborough, I was quite surprised that for a bloke who hasn’t previously trained a trotter, they kept backing me in. I was probably lucky a few galloped, but she is a sensible little thing,” Dunn said.

“After she won, I bumped into (horse breaker) Rod Barker who was joking with me that he’d obviously ‘wasted’ three weeks with Festive Azz trying to get her to pace, and it was little wonder he couldn’t get her to go quick enough.

“We haven’t pushed her too hard in her work because she’s just a fine little thing, but she’s only ever gone into a break once at home.

“We’ll head back to Maryborough next week and then decide if she’s worth a shot at maybe the Oaks, Breeders Crown or the Sires.”

Watch Festive Azz’s win at Maryborough:

Dunn said he was hoping Festive Azz might present as a decent prospect, given that she has not yet really been extended.

“The Conroy family obviously know all there is to know about trotting, and at Charlton I was pumping Anne-Maree for information about what should I do- her advice was just to put the horse on her float!”

By Terry Gange for Harnesslink