NZ Trotting Cup In The Crosshairs For Got The Chocolates

It’s been more than 20 years since Robert Dunn last won the Gr.1 New Zealand Trotting Cup (3200m) with Mainland Banner (NZ) (Christian Cullen), and he believes he has the horse to break that drought.

NZB Standardbred graduate Got The Chocolates (NZ) (Art Major) is that horse and he put his hand up for the two mile feature following his dominant win in last Friday’s Group One NZ Messenger (2700m) at Alexandra Park.

Driver John Dunn restrained Got The Chocolates off the mobile arm to sit three back on the fence behind pacemaker Swayzee (Rock N Roll Heaven) and The Lazarus Effect (NZ) (Lazarus), and Swayzee continued to set a solid tempo, stringing out the field for most of the journey, and it turned into a race of three a long way from home.

Down the back straight the final time, Dunn asked Got The Chocolates to improve to sit outside Swayzee, and he quickly obliged. He continued his momentum and quickly left Swayzee in his dust, establishing a one length advantage at the turn, and while The Lazarus Effect took chase, it was in vain, with Got The Chocolates scoring a four length victory over the Bob Butt-trained and driven runner, with three lengths back to Swayzee in third, while fourth placed We Walk By Faith (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) was a further 21–¼ lengths in arrears.

“I knew there was going to be great speed, Cam (Hart, driver of Swayzee) set a torrid tempo and made a real race of it, which is great,” John Dunn said.

“He is definitely getting better and he is better driven with a sit too. When I pulled him out down the back he was explosive to be able to get up near Swayzee so quickly.”

Dunn said Got The Chocolates is such a relaxed horse, which will take him a long way.

“He would have dropped out if I let him drop out mid-race, that is the sort of cool, calm and collected customer he is,” he said. “It probably makes up a big part of how good he is.

“He and Sundees Son are the only two horses I have driven in my life that when you get to the line there is more in the tank. It is very special, you have got to make the most of these ones.”

While tempted to test Got The Chocolate’s talent in Australia, Dunn said they will send him for a spell in preparation for a spring campaign targeted towards the New Zealand Trotting Cup on the second Tuesday in November.

“He is out in the paddock now for a break,” he said. “I would love to go to Aussie but not yet. He will get ready in the spring and we will get November out of the way first and we will go from there.”

Got The Chocolates is out of four-win Bettor’s Delight mare Kate Black, a daughter of multiple Group One winner Kate’s First, and he was offered through Rosedale Farm’s 2023 National Yearling Sale draft in Christchurch where he was purchased by Diamond Racing for $90,000.

Trained by Robert and Jenna Dunn, he has now won 14 and placed in 13 of his 30 starts to date, and earned more than $746,000 in prizemoney.
 

Vendor	Rosedale Farm
Purchaser	Diamond Racing Stables Ltd
Owner(s)	R K Gordon, Mrs A L Gordon
Breeding	Art Major - Kate Black
Sale	2023 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale, Christchurch ($90,000)
Breeder(s)	K N Spicer,Mrs A M Spicer