Dexter Dunn returning to drive in UK & Ireland

World champion harness racing driver Dexter Dunn has confirmed that he will be coming to drive in Wales, UK for the Breeders Crown UK & Ireland on August 2 at Tir Prince and to return to the Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend at Portmarnock Raceway in Dublin, Ireland August 13 and 14.

Dunn, the reigning World Champion driver from New Zealand, took Ireland by storm last year and now is setting his sights on the Breeders Crown UK & Ireland at Tir Prince.

“When Derek Delaney contacted me about coming back this summer to Ireland and if I was interested in also including the Breeders Crown in Wales, Dunn said, “It fit in good with my racing calendar and there wasn’t much hesitation in saying yes!”

David Wilson, chairman of the Breeders Crown UK & Ireland that will take place at Tir Prince in Wales, August 2, was ecstatic when he heard the Dexter Dunn was coming.

“This is the tenth anniversary of the BC and what fantastic news to have,” Wilson beamed, “Dexter Dunn showed everyone at Portmarnock last year of his great ability to drive a horse and I am sure his services on Breeders Crown Day will be much in demand from trainers and owners alike.

“Having Dexter coming is fabulous,” Wilson added, “We have the inaugural All American Bred Filly Pace for two-year-olds this year, a bumper crop of horses eligible for the Breeders Crown and purses that could exceed £35,000, harness racing tour groups coming from around the world and now the news that Dexter Dunn will be driving on the program is just great.”

“I had such a blast in Ireland last year,” Dunn said, “It was such a great experience and now I am going to enhance it by driving at Tir Prince on their Breeders Crown program. It will be awesome to get back over and catch up with all the nice people over there that treated me so well last year, and of course, to have a few beverages as well!”

“We are both delighted and honoured to have a world class driver such as Dexter come to Tir Prince to drive,” said Eric Witherspoon, Racing Director at Tir Prince. “I had the pleasure of being at Portmarnock last year and like everyone else who was present I was in awe of his reinsmanship. We cannot wait to see him on the track.

“On 2^nd August Breeders Crown night,  it is one of the most eagerly anticipated nights of the year,” Witherspoon explained, “when the very best juveniles from Britain and Ireland compete for top prize money, the racing will be top class and Dexter’s attendance will be the cherry on the cake. We also have the Ephie Mather Memorial Trot which is a Free For All Trot For International Trotters.”

Witherspoon noted that Dexter Dunn will also be in attendance on Tuesday 9^th August at Tir Prince when the track hosts the 2 mile Free For All Pace that is being sponsored by John Howard.

Track management hopes that the track record for 2 miles will be shattered on this night and with Dunn’s experience in long distance races makes him someone to not bet against him driving the record breaker.

Dunn then returns to Dublin, Ireland for the Vincent Delaney Memorial Weekend the 13^th and 14^th of August and race committee head, Derek Delaney, see’s Dunn’s return as a major boost to the weekend.

“I have kept in contact with Dexter during the off-season,” Delaney said. “And he was keen to come back for the VDM and to drive at Tir Prince. So much so that he bought in as part of a syndicate on the two-year-old filly, Oakwood’s Dragoness.

“Dexter, along with Cran Delgaty, Clive and Anne Dalton, Mick Harvey, Oakwood Stud, Lee Edwards, Dean Russell, Simon Elvin and Paul Johnson,” Delaney said, “are all in and this filly is eligible to the new American bred pace at Tir Prince. Wouldn’t that be great if Dexter could win that race with her?”

It would seem that Dexter Dunn has his work cut out for him while on holiday this summer in the UK and Ireland.

“It’s not work at all driving horses,” Dunn said, “I hope I have a drive in every race. I love it.”

Will there be some traveling for Dunn this August?

“Yeah, I’m looking to do a bit of tripping around while I am over,” Dunn said. “I haven’t planned what or where yet through. I had such a super time last year.”

By Steve Wolf, for Harnesslink