Diamond Racing about to crank it up

All powerful Diamond Racing Stable is about to unleash it’s top end harness racing stock for the second part of the current season.

To cater for the large number of horses the stable has in work, Robert and Jenna Dunn have recently expanded their operation to Belmont Lodge which adjoins the Rangiora Raceway.

“Korby is (Korbyn Newman) running that for us and we’ve got about twenty to twenty five horses there. We’ll keep it going at the moment until the owner wants to develop it because it’s working out well for us. We do it because it gets very wet at the beach during the winter. It’s allowing us to have an extra twenty stalls in the winter,” Robert Dunn said.

The property was formerly used by Te Akau Racing, Gavin Smith and Mark Smolenski.

“When Mark came and worked for us we decided to take it over. We’ve done a bit to it and it’s working out very well.”

Robert has twelve horses based in Auckland, Ross Houghton handles the young one while the balance of horses are spread between Rangiora and Woodend Beach.

“That’s the most I’ve had up here for a long time. Normally we have sixty at the beach but in the winter we drop it down to forty. We’ve got a lot of rising two year olds so some of those will go back to Ross’s for a second or third prep and some will go to Rangiora. So there’s a lot of admin.”

Diamond Racing has fifteen full-time staff and a number of ‘extras’.

Recent additions to the Auckland barn are two year olds Queen Tyron (Bettor’s Delight) and Tyron’s Connoisseur (Art Major).

“We’ll look at the Caduceus for them (Caduceus Club Two Year Old Fillies Classic – 20^th September). We might bring Gone Surfin (Downbytheseaside) up here as well depending on how well she goes right handed.”

Others that will race in the north include Bounce N Beyond (Majestic Son), Bravehearthighlander (What The Hill), Bruntwood Brigade (Art Major) and The Jolly Roger (Always B Miki).

“The advantage of having them up here is the Auckland Trotting Club’s Golden Gait Series. They have to qualify for the finals in December. The two year olds have to have four starts. For example, Tyron’s Connoisseur who’s a bit behind Queen Tyron and Bruntwood Brigade will stay up here and try and qualify for the $100,000 finals.”

The stable took eighteen horses to the Rangiora trials yesterday and Robert says they were pleased with them all.

“Who’s Delight (Bettor’s Delight), Charlie Brown (Art Major), Dalton Shard (Always B Miki) and Double Time (A Rocknroll Dance) while they’re a little bit behind the real top class Cup horses, are Cup contenders but they all have to take the next step.”

Dunn said trotters Mighty Logan (Creatine) and Sunnys Sister (Majestic Son) who ran first and second in their trial will be the first two horses from the group to start back at the races.

Meanwhile Welcome Stakes winner Got The Chocolates (Art Major) will miss the first Sires Stakes Heat and head to Oamaru for the Diamond Creek Farm Oamaru Juvenile Stakes next month.

Talented Highgrove (Love You) who last started in the 2022 New Zealand Trotting Derby finishing third behind stablemate Nazareth, (Love You) isn’t far away from resuming after missing his complete four year old season and half of his five year old year.

“He’s holding together beautifully and his tendon is looking super. We had issues with his hamstring which we’ve sorted out and he’s trotting really nicely now. He’ll trial the week after next.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink