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RACING HISTORY

FEATURE RACE COMMENT

West Melton trainer Robert Dunn had mixed feelings on hearing he had won the $40,000 Wyatt & Wilson Print Superstars Championship with Mainland Banner at Addington last Friday night, 20 minutes after the race was run.

Mainland Banner was promoted to first in the Stewards' room following the disqualification of Dudinka's Cullen for racing inside the markers for approximately 90 metres. He knocked down six of them on his way to running past Mainland Banner, Baileys Dream and Presido and winning the race by a length. This was his first start since trainer Tim Butt had bought him for leviathan Perth owner, Neven Botica.

Mainland Banner gave Dudinka's Cullen a 20m start, and had no favours in the early part of the race although she began well without being quickly away. She had a smother in the middle stages and after some pushing and shoving on the final bend, unleashing a strong finish from there.

This has left driver Ricky May in the interesting position of having two possible drives in the NZ Cup, with London Legend, who resumes in the Nobilo this week, as the other. "I'm really happy with her. I knew she would step okay from the start and she did, but got sqeezed a bit. We have got a meeting planned this week to see where we go from here," he said.

Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 12Oct05