Dexter Dunn – World Best

World Champion driver Dexter Dunn has been well and truly written into harness racing history.

He’s a household name in racing circles in New Zealand and in the US where he now lives his achievements are also well documented. 

But for an inside perspective on the world champion reinsman, Harnesslink’s New Zealand correspondent Bruce Stewart recently took the opportunity to talk with Dexter’s father Robert (RJ) about his son’s remarkable achievements.

Dexter Dunn’s harness racing pedigree is well stocked with winners and there’s plenty of black print. 

His late Grandfather Bill Bagrie trained some very good horses over the twenty three seasons that he held a license. Gentle George (Batchelor Hanover) is of particular note as he was one of only three horses to win on all four days of the New Zealand Cup meeting  – a feat he achieved in 1978. 

“He was an outstanding horseman. Pete (son) drove Gentle George as a young fella,” Robert said.

Dexter’s mother Rose was one of Bill’s daughters. His other daughter Shelley married Southland horseman Henderson Hunter who trained and drove the 1978 New Zealand Cup winner Trusty Scot (Scottish Command). 

Dexter’s uncle Peter (Pete) Bagrie has also fashioned a good training record. His winners include Group One Auckland Cup winner Burlington Bertie (Vance Hanover). His son Tom Bagrie has trained 72 winners in the eight seasons of his career.

Robert Dunn too has an outstanding record as a trainer with 1,863 winners including 31 at Group One level. His major Group One winners have been Master Musician (5), Mainland Banner (5) and Sundee’s Son (7).

Robert also fashioned a very good record as a reinsman driving 310 winners including Group One winner Master Musician (New York Motoring) which won the New Zealand Trotting Cup (1996), the Auckland Cup (1992) and the New Zealand Derby (1991). 

As we move further down the pedigree page Dexter’s brother John features, having crafted a very successful career as a driver with 1,512 winners including 26 at Group One level.

So let’s ‘leave the gate’ with Robert Dunn a do a few laps round the racetrack and discover how Dexter became the champion he is.

Robert began training in 1978 and his first winner was Blue Schell (Schell Hanover) at Marlborough in February of that year.

The winners started to flow but in the late 1990s he took a break from the sport to get his body back into shape. Robert had received numerous injuries over the years including one from a bad smash on the West Coast which put him in hospital for some months and kept him off the scene for a year.

“I needed a new hip put in, some plates taken out and to be fair it was long overdue.” 

At that point his young son Dexter was showing plenty of interest in the horses.

“He was about ten and decided that he may want to be a jockey. He was only tiny, so he went to help Peter and Dawn Williams out at Riccarton. Peter said to him one day ‘Dex I’m going to give you a wee tip. Your feet are too big and you’re going to start growing one day.”

Dexter’s dream of becoming a jockey was scuttled. However other opportunities were just around the corner. 

Robert had just returned to training and he relates, “I had a horse called Panky’s Pacer (In The Pocket) who was bad mannered and hadn’t raced because he was a bit uncontrollable. Johnny (son) was working for Dean Taylor and Rose had given up driving when the children were young, so I didn’t have a driver. I took the horse to the beach and Dex said he’d come. I put him on Panky and told him that if the horse started bolting just go into the sandhills or the sea.”

The beach run was uneventful, thanks to the young horseman.

“I knew the way he handled Panky that he had a fair bit of talent.”

Panky’s Pacer was part owned by galloping trainer Ray Pankhurst in partnership with Ian Dobson. Dobson was to become one of Dunn’s biggest stable clients. 

“Johnny came back to work for me and Dex would drive before and after school and sometimes at the weekends. We always put him on the safe horses because he was very light framed, just weighed fifty kilos and in those days he was only five foot three or four.”

After getting beaten a few times by Dexter, Dunn senior decided to change it up and give the young driver a horse that wasn’t quite so well mannered.

“I explained to him that you couldn’t give this horse his head, so that he would need to keep pressure on the bit because the horse could put in a funny stride. I told him to stay in behind. Johnny and I were just coming nicely down the straight. The next minute Dex whistled past us. Johnny and I looked at each other and said ‘what happened there?”

When asked to explain himself Dexter said, “He was a bit rough round the bend, but I held him together. I know you told me not to pull him out but when I caught you he was going so good I had to come out.” 

“Johnny and I realised then that there might be a bit of talent sitting in there,” Robert said.

While at Primary School Dexter enjoyed playing rugby and was an age group rep. He formed a formidable combination with a young Tim Williams (another very successful New Zealand reinsman).

“He was halfback and Timmy Williams was first five eight for North Canterbury and through their rugby they got into Christchurch Boys High School.”

Dexter was still at school when Canterbury trainer Tim Butt phoned him and asked if he would like to head up to Auckland. 

“Tim was going across to the Interdominions in Tasmania so Dex went as well. While he was over there, he rang me and said ‘Tell mum I’m not coming home’. I said ‘You tell her’.”

Dexter did stay in Australia, for the first three months, working for the late Gavin Lang.

“He’d built up a very good relationship with Andy and Kate Gath, so he worked for them too. He got his license when he was there and drove about eleven or twelve winners.”

Dexter returned home in 2006 and as an overseas junior driver drove his first winner in New Zealand the aptly named Crusader Franco (Badlands Hanover) which won at Ashburton. He was trained by Robert.

“He went back to Australia and then Cran (Dalgety) offered him a job, so he came home and started working for Cran. Our families have a great relationship. I worked for Cran’s father Jim and drove Bolton Byrd which kicked my career off.” 

Once established back in New Zealand at Kentuckiana Lodge Dunn’s career blossomed and he soon became a driving sensation. Over the years he continued to travel to Australia, driving with success in a number of the major stakes races.

His Australian record:

• 55 Australian winners for $3,441,911.
• First winner in Australia – The Ultimate One (Ultimate Falcon) – September 2006.
• Major Australian winners: Christen Me (Christian Cullen), Bettor’s Strike (Bettor’s Delight), Katy Perry (Bettor’s Delight), Nek Time (Gotta Go Cullect) and Smiling Shard (Grinfromeartoear).

In New Zealand he drove 2,226 winners for stakes of $22,019.704. 

Some of the highlights.

• First New Zealand winner: Crusader Franco – Ashburton November 2006.
• Last New Zealand winner was Flyin Milly Mac (Mach Three) for Cran Dalgety at Rangiora in August 2018.
• Best season – 2017 with 229 winners.
• Leading New Zealand Junior Driver in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
• First Junior Driver to win over 100 races in a season (146 in 2008) 
• Holds the record for the youngest driver to reach 100 winners in a season. As an 18-year-old in 2007/08, he broke the previous record held by twenty two year old Mark Jones. 
• Leading New Zealand Driver between 2008 and 2018. The best driving record in New Zealand harness racing history.
• First driver to drive over 200 winners in one season (2009). Not only did he smash Maurice McKendry’s 20 year old driving record of 161 winners in a season, but he also became the first New Zealand pilot of either equine code to crack the magical 200 win barrier.
• 2015 World Drivers Championship winner.
• Represented New Zealand four times at the Australasian Young Drivers Championship.
• His first Group One winner was Time To Fly (Sands A Flyin) in the 2008 New Zealand Breeders Stakes. She was trained by Robert Dunn.
• Drove 16 Group One winners for Cran Dalgety.
• Drove seven winners in one day at Forbury Park in July 2015. Only three drivers have driven seven winners on one card. Doug Watt in July 1954 and Tony Herlihy in May 2001. He’s driven six winners on one card six times and five winners in one day twenty three times. 
• Canterbury Sportsman of the Year (2009) 

A truly remarkable record and not much else to prove in the homeland!

One very special horse for Dexter, worth mentioning, was Christen Me (Christian Cullen). The gelding propelled his career to a new level in New Zealand and Australia, winning six Group One races including – Easter Cup, Auckland Cup, New Zealand FFA, Four Year Old Emerald, New Zealand Messenger and Taylor Mile.

In Australia he won an additional four Group One races – 2013 Chariots of Fire, 2014 Hunter Cup, 2014 Miracle Mile and 2015 Victoria Cup. 

In New Zealand and Australia, Christen Me raced sixty eight times for thirty two wins and banked $2,472,138.

He was exported to America in 2017 and he raced successfully there. As a demonstration of the respect Dexter had for this great warrior, he actually purchased him out of a claiming race to ensure his retirement was befitting of his great deeds. 

“That was his first great horse, and he was attached to him. He paid $30,000 for him and said he was never going to let him go round in claiming races, so he bought him.” 

Robert said Dexter initially wasn’t keen to head to America but that changed when he competed in the World Drivers Championship in the US. 

“He stayed on with Chris and Nicola Ryder and Chris gave him a couple of drives to help cut his teeth. He really enjoyed it and that was the catalyst for him going back. He didn’t say much to us, but I think one day he thought that he was chasing his tail a bit driving all over the country and then having to drive home after the races. I think he thought it would be better to give it a go in the States.”

Consequently in 2018 Dexter took his career to the other side of the world to a hugely competitive harness racing country.

“The first year he went there it was August and all the drivers had their stakes horses sorted out. So he never got any of the good drives. He went down to the Red Mile while all the other top drivers chased all the stakes horses and drove in the cheaper races. He drove a lot of winners and made a lot of good connections there. He also drove a lot at Harrahs.”

Robert added that Dexter’s relationships with expats Chris Ryder, Nifty Norman and Australian Andy McCarthy were extremely beneficial in the early part of his driving career in America.

“I don’t think people realise how powerful that New Zealand Australian relationship is.” 

Dunn said when Dexter was first starting he travelled extensively to establish his name. But now he can afford to be more selective.

“He’s not driving some of those smaller tracks at the moment and is just concentrating of getting his young horses ready for some of those feature races. Meadowlands is his number one track. Once all the stakes races start he’ll do a lot more travelling. He does travel a bit on private jets. People I met over there said they really liked the way Dexter told them what they could do to improve their horse and they appreciated that.”

Bettors Wish (Bettor’s Delight) and Party Girl Hill (Captaintreacherous) are two horses that kick started his career and gave him exposure at the higher level. 

“He had two stars to jump on board and it just exploded from there really. So in his first full season over there he was off.” 

In America drivers have their own set of colours and Dexter’s race days colours of red, black and white are very much modelled on his beloved home province of Canterbury and on his father’s colours.

“He’s a very proud Cantabrian. He watches the Crusaders (Rugby Team) play every game and also the All Blacks.” 

On the ownership front Dexter and trainer Chris Ryder each have a thirty percent share in Twin B Joe, a Roll With Joe filly out of the Captaintreacherous mare Fresh Breeze.

“She went 1-48 and change as a two year old filly and she won close to $700,000 for the year so she’s a real smart horse.”

The star of last season for Dexter was undoubtedly Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play).

As a four year old he became the fastest standardbred ever with a spectacular world record performance winning the William Haughton Memorial at Meadowlands in 1:45.4. He finished the season with 16 starts, 14 wins and $1,858,210 in earnings, pushing his career bankroll to $2,789,271. 

Last season Dexter won a staggering 59 races worth $100,000 or more. 

In America drivers don’t get a losing driving fee as they do in New Zealand. They get 5% of stake money from first placing to fifth.

“So you’ve got to have the backing of all the big trainers to be successful over there.”

In his first year of driving in North America he had 693 drives for 93 wins for $1,564,758 in stakes. The driving numbers increased in the following season to 2696 as he ‘networked’ himself. He drove 460 winners (his highest number) in his fifth season and the stakes jumped up dramatically to $12,071,592.

He now has more drives in big dollar stake races so he’s cut back on his driving numbers. In the season just completed he drove 1,574 times for 308 wins and $15,197,579.

In the seven seasons Dexter has driven in America he’s jumped on 9,132 runners for 1,691 winners and $53,081,325 in stakes.

His biggest winners last season were:

• Jiggy Jog S (Walner) – $675,000 Breeders Crown-1:51.1   
• Bulldog Hanover (Shadow Play) – $600,000 Breeders Crown – 1:46.4
• Ecurie D DK (Infintiif) – $600,000 Breeders Crown            
• Bulldog Hanover – $494,000 Canadian Pacing Derby – 1:46.4
• Bulldog Hanover – $345,000 TVG Open Pace – 1:47.3
• Ecurie D DK – $330,000 TVG Open Trot – 1:50.2           
• Catch The Fire (Captaintreacherous) – $278,000 McKee Memorial – 1:46.4
• Jiggy Jog S – $270,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes – 1:50

  

When American racing shut down over Christmas New Year (2022) Dexter took the opportunity to return home, refresh, and catch up with friends and family.

“He had a ball. He caught up with all his friends. He got around all the tracks – Westport, Nelson, Omakau. One thing he does miss is Cup Week. He says it’s still the greatest week.” 

On a personal front Dexter is married to Jillian Morris who won 164 races as a jockey between 2006 and 2019. Dexter and Jillian have a seven year old daughter Mila.

Dexter now has his Green Card and he’s expecting Jillian and Mila to join him permanently in the States sometime this year.

He’s brought his first home in a place called Milltown which is fifty five miles from Allentown.

“He plays a wee bit of golf. Now that he’s got his own home and Jillian and Mila are heading over shortly, he’s got a bit of tidying up to do and his life will change. Mila will want a pony over there so he’s going to have to have post and rail fences and put in a little stable for her.” 

RJ says he won’t be heading Stateside this year, but that other members of the family and some friends will be.  Dexter’s brother John and his wife Jenna will be heading across and Cran, Chrissie and Carter Dalgety plan to go as well, where they’ll no doubt relish the opportunity to catch up with the all conquering Kiwi reinsman in the place he now calls home.

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink