Wins trigger heartfelt memories for Aaron

Horsham horseman Aaron Dunn has celebrated plenty of wins in his harness racing career — but two recent victories that came just a day apart were particularly special.

Dunn trained Pick Up Elvis (Rock N Roll Heaven) to victory at Maryborough on June 4, and Eyeneedthat (Downbytheseaside) the next day at Ballarat.

Both horses were owned by men who had passed away a few months earlier, leaving behind respected legacies in Victorian harness racing — and strong connections to the Dunn stable.

“It was just one of those things… I never thought about it at the time, but when I was talking to my brother later that we realised both horses had won and that dad (Barry) and (stable supporter) Digger had passed away within a week of each other,” Dunn said.

Pick Up Elvis is a rising star for the Dunn stable, unbeaten in four starts as a three-year-old.

The colt was the last horse purchased at the yearling sales by Dunn’s father Barry, a respected figure in western Victorian racing circles who passed away in February this year.

“Dad gave up breeding a couple of years back and bought Pick Up Elvis at the sales — it was the first horse all of our family had a share in: Kerri, Bryan, Sarah, myself, Mum and a couple of other relatives,” Dunn said.

“I told Dad there was one I liked at the sales — but I don’t think he even looked at that one! Pick Up Elvis was his choice. I never really liked the horse much as a youngster. He didn’t want to steer, he was short-stepping, he did everything wrong,” he said.

“I ran him once as a two-year-old, but I probably shouldn’t have. He just wasn’t ready. I put him in the paddock and pretty much forgot about him after that.”

But Dunn said when Pick Up Elvis returned to work, something started to click.

“He just started to put things together. He was working better before Dad passed away, but Dad never actually saw him win,” Dunn said.

“Dad would be grinning. He was always good at picking cheapies — Elvis was probably the most expensive one he ever bought — but he’d be saying, ‘See, I knew more than you!’ because the other one I liked at the sales hasn’t done much at all.”

Less than 24 hours after the Maryborough win, Eyeneedthat delivered the follow-up at Ballarat. The colt was trained by Dunn for passionate Mallee-based owner BJ “Digger” Finch, who died just a week after Barry Dunn.

Dunn said his association with Finch came about in a typically country way — over a borrowed broodmare and a service fee won by Finch and Ouyen horseman Matt Retallick.

“They won a service and borrowed a broodmare from me to take up the service.  We raced that horse together and I think we won one race,” Dunn said.

“So Eyeneeedthat, who Digger owned with Matt Retallick, was only the second horse I ever trained for Digger. I never actually met him, but I know he was passionate about his horses — he really loved the sport,” he said.

“He had horses with Matt and Malcolm Retallick and raced horses with John and Maree Caldow too. He’d bred some nice ones, like Our Kinky Boots and Our True Colours with John and Maree.”

Eyeneedthat’s win at Ballarat came just 10 days after his third placing in the $150,000 APG Graduate Final behind the exciting Loucasso.

“He’d done a big job at Melton — sat in the death seat and kept fighting. So to back that up with a win the next week was pretty special. Digger would’ve been proud of that one,” Dunn said.

From Terry Gange for Harnesslink