Dobson looking for more Cup Week history

One of the most prolific owners in New Zealand harness racing history is no stranger to success at New Zealand Cup & Show Week, and this year, Ian Dobson has a unique opportunity to further etch his name into the record books.

In 1998, the man they call ‘Dobby’ won his first New Zealand Cup with his champion pacer, Christian Cullen (In The Pocket) who at the time became just the fourth four-year-old winner of our greatest race.

Seven years later, Dobson won the Cup with a daughter of Christian Cullen in Mainland Banner who in turn broke a 101-year drought becoming the first four-year-old mare to win our greatest race.

In 2022, Dobson has an opportunity albeit by virtue of a historic birthdate change to co-own the first three-year-old New Zealand Cup winner in its 119-year history.

Last seasons champion juvenile, Akuta (Bettor’s Delight), has had an up and down campaign heading into the $650,000 Group One feature tomorrow.

The on again, off again New Zealand Cup campaign has been a unique storyline with the final chapter written at Kaikoura last Monday after a promising third behind Kango (American Ideal) was enough for co-owner/trainer/driver, Mark Purdon to confirm his spot in the great race.

“I don’t make decisions, nor do the horses. But I am happy with it now. I was happy with his run at Kaikoura, and he had a bit of a tough run, but I thought he went alright.

“We’re drawn well in three and I’ve got nobody to blame for the draw but myself having chosen his barrier at the Cup function last week. Being on the front line is great, but over two miles the best horse usually wins and I’m looking forward to seeing how we go,” he said.

It’s been 15 years since Dobson has had a horse line up on the second Tuesday in November, that horse being the gifted Gotta Go Cullen (Christian Cullen), who was sixth to Changeover (In The Pocket) in the 2008 edition of the great race which was worth a whopping $1.2 million thanks to Winston Peters.

In between drinks, Dobson’s ownership interests have greatly reduced, but that’s not to say the passion for the sport has gone with it. He’s had a few in work over that time and the most recent group performer a son of Mainland Banner in Return To Sender (Bettor’s Delight). Akuta is in another class however and having owned a pacer with Purdon before that never made it to the races, Ian had made it clear to Mark that if there was ever an opportunity to be involved with a nice pacer again to keep him in mind.

“Mark had bought the horse for a Victorian owner that had a sudden change of heart after Akuta was purchased from the sales. He called me and said he had a yearling that he really liked and would I like to be involved.

“I looked into the pedigree and liked what I saw. A Bettor’s Delight out of a Christian Cullen mare and the rest as they say is history,” said Dobson.

Despite getting on in years, Dobson can vividly recall the thrill of winning each of his New Zealand Cups.

“You never forget, it’s the pinnacle of our sport.

“With Christian Cullen, he was more or less a certainty in my opinion. Mainland Banner, they were all saying you couldn’t win it with a four-year-old mare like that, but she was the same age as Cullen when he won and had all the form going into the race despite only qualifying 11 months earlier. Being a daughter of Christian Cullen was extra special as well,” he said.

Akuta being out of a daughter of Christian Cullen has some real serendipity too it and would be a fitting fairytale for a man who has achieved just about everything there is to be achieved.

Akuta winning tomorrow would also give Dobson an opportunity at even more history come Show Day.

No owner in the history of the sport has ever won a New Zealand Cup and Dominion in the same week.

With the freakishly talented Muscle Mountain (Muscle Hill), Dobson has as good of a chance as any will ever have to achieve the NZ Cup & Dominion double.

“I’m having a good run with my horses at the moment, but we have a policy of going over the breeding very thoroughly before making any purchase decisions. We send them to the top trainers, and you would like to think you get the results. But nothing is guaranteed in racing as you know.

“I never thought I would have a chance to win a Dominion though. I had raced a trotter before in the early 2000’s with Gold N Gold who did quite well in Australia and beat Lyell Creek at his final start. I didn’t have any intention of buying a trotter the year I bought Muscle Mountain’s dam but loved her family and pedigree and bought her largely on that basis,” he said.

Paramount Faith (Pegasus Spur) had excellent manners and fluent gait but lacked any real speed to push on with as a juvenile, leaving Dobson with what he believes was any easy decision.

“I have never had a go at breeding, but I had this mare who was wonderfully bred and did everything right but did not have the speed. So, I thought I would put her in foal to the best stallion in the world and I’m not surprised he has turned out to be a great trotter,” he said.

The Greg & Nina Hope stable along with son Ben in the cart have done a wonderful job of getting the star five-year-old spot on for the Dominion come Friday, and Dobson views him as his best chance of winning a Group One for the week.

“I think the trotter will win, I don’t know about the pacers, but who knows, they are all great chances, and it could happen,” he said.

You might note Dobson said pacers, and not pacer. The plural in the equation is the odds-on favourite for the 2YO Sires Stakes Final in Don’t Stop Dreaming (Bettor’s Delight) who having drawn barrier two looks awfully hard to beat.

Dobson co-owns the pacer with the Dunford’s who are no stranger to Sires Stakes success having won the race with It’s All About Faith and Have Faith In Me. Dobson has also tasted success in the Cup Day feature with Christian Cullen in 1997 and Spirit Of Zeus in 1995.

While it’s safe to say nobody has ever won the big three as an owner in the same week, Phil & Glenys Kennard alongside Trevor Casey have achieved the Sires Stakes/NZ Cup double on two occasions.

Speaking with Dobson though, you get the sense that in the twilight of his ownership journey, just having a runner on Cup Day is something he will cherish and despite not being in the best of health us looking forward to being in attendance tomorrow afternoon.

“I would love to win a race, it’s a thrill to win any race at Addington. But it won’t be easy, and I am just grateful to still be enjoying the industry and well enough to attend. I will be there with a nice suit on and hope it’s a nice warm day for everyone to enjoy,” he said.

For complete Cup Day fields, click here.

by Brad Reid, for Harnesslink