 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1989
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Dillon Dean outfinises Inky Lord to win the 1989 NZ FFA |
Dillon Dean's win in the $100,000 Air New Zealand N Z Free-For-All could have been helped by trainer Don Dwyer standing closer to the winning post to watch the race. Well, at least Dwyer knew where his Shicker gelding had finished. "I got fooled in the Cup. I thought he had run third," Dwyer said, "but I didn't have any doubts today."
Dillon Dean's victory over Inky Lord was a total turn around from the DB Draught New Zealand Cup. Inky Lord had come from a 'mile' behind in the Cup, yet in the FFA the roles were reversed and Dillon Dean came off Inky Lord's back to win.
Dwyer now has a 100% record in the Free-For-All. His only other runner was Dillon Dean's half-brother Dillon Dale, who brilliantly won the coveted event in 1984. Ironically, Dillon Dale had run a placing in the Cup that year, running third to Camelot after losing a tonne of ground at the start.
Driver Colin De Filippi was full of admiration for the powerful pacer after the event. "He'd have to be the best horse I've driven," he said. "I was a little further back than I would have liked, but he just went when I asked him to," he said.
Credit: Harness Racing Weekly