| FEATURE RACE COMMENT |
YEAR: 2001
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Had you been around West Melton trainer Geoff Dunn in the hour or so before the $90,000 PGG Yearling Sales Series Fillies Pace, he might have given you the nudge for race roughie My Party Doll. On her C8 assessment, Like An Atom looked fairly safe, although there had been a health scare which appeared to be behind her after a mobile win at Cambridge eight days earlier.
My Party Doll was one of a bunch of well-bred maidens with a pedigree to swim for, but on the face of it in mainly with hope and luck. That was pretty much the thoughts of most punters who sent her out the 10th choice in a field of 13, but Dunn wasn't one of them. "When I came onto the course, I told my brother Robert that I thought she would win. He must have thought I was a real wally," he said. Whether Robert thought he was a wally or not, Geoff was the one planning the celebrations afterwards, saying it was the first time he had been able to race the filly without her being in season. "And she had worked huge on Wednesday, running a furlong in 12.6," he said.
Dunn has a catelogue of reasons why My Party Doll had not won a race in her six previous starts, because she has always trained at the level of a good horse. "As a 2-year-old, she blitzed a field in a trial at Addington, and at her first-start at the races she was a dead-cert beaten. She had won four of her five trials this time in before getting to the races and ran a cracking second first-up. She didn't go as good as I expected after that, but in three of those runs she was in season," he said.
Driven with great patience by stable driver Gerard O'Reilly, My Party Doll came into the attack with Kamwood Gal and Mischievous Minx and finally outstayed the northern Holmes Hanover fillies. The shareholders in My Party Doll are Bob and Jenny Sandford who paid $24,000 for the filly, from the family of Cup class pacers Chief Command and Indecision, and gave Dunn a half-share to train her. "I made a decision to go this way because 'til Bob and Jenny came along I had had a lot of middle of the road horses," he said.
Dunn knows he is lucky to have them and the bounce is returned because the Sandfords are Labrador-loyal and have often proclaimed the under-rated talents of Dunn and O'Reilly. As well as breeding as they continue to do, the Sandfords are enthusiastic buyers of yearlings and they pitch most of their bids at the middle to high commercial stock. An example is the $34,000 they spent to buy Agios Nikolaos, which has now returned them more than $40,000, although he was outworried by the much improved Mehrtens in the previous race. "I still think he will be the best horse I have had," said Dunn of Agios Nikolaos. "He is still growing and will get there eventually."
By his own admission, Dunn has battled in the rung under the top echelon of trainers, being with them one memorable season when he was fourth on the premiership with 27 wins. It didn't do him any good. "You know, I never got a new client. That was not a good sign." The Sandfords were with him soon after and now the partnership accounts for more than half the horses Dunn trains. He says: "I would be doing something else now if it wasn't for Bob."
Dunn was a late starter getting a job in the industry, and he was 20 before he was on the payroll with his brother. Before that he had a smorgasbord of employment opportunities that he says "you wouldn't want to know about." At that time, the thought of seven days a week, as many hours as you liked, didn't sit too well with him. Until Mighty Molecule came along and won eight, his best winners were his "middle roaders" such as Sir Striker, Miss Franco, Hydro Lad and Last Dream. My Party Doll is now in a class of her own, and is taking Dunn with her. The Sandfords have seen to that.
Credit: Mike Grainger writing in HRWeekly 21Feb01
YEAR: 2010
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Master Bomber's win in last Friday's (September 17) Ordeal Trotting Cup (Listed) was just the tonic for harness racing owner Hubert Christey. Gerard O'Reilly married Christey's daughter Jane and now trains the seven year old. Christey suffered a stroke just over two months ago, and with on-going complications the 79 year old has only just been released from hospital.
"Yes he's been through a tough time lately and it was a real pick me up," said Gerard O'Reilly. Master Bomber himself has been the focus of an ongoing problem for O'Reilly also, with a quarter crack the original reason the Rakaia trainer attained the son of Armbro Invasion.
"The father-in-law did a great job and won seven races with him, but he had a nasty quarter-crack and we've had him since December. Kerry (O'Reilly) tried hard to get it right but it just wasn't working so we were forced to tip him out," O'Reilly says. A six week break that included the addition of a bar shoe, constant tubbing and bathing in bluestone (copper sulphate) helped the Bomber make a full recovery from the debilitating ailment.
Master Bomber received a solid build-up this time in with several workouts and trials stripping him fit for the Ordeal. After dropping into the 1-1 early O'Reilly popped in front of the three wide train at the 1400 to get handy again. Forced back in the field turning in, Master Bomber still had plenty of work to do. Leader Ray looked to have stolen a break at the top of the straight but it was to be short lived as Leighton Hest, Roydon Flash and finally Master Bomber made their final assaults, the big Bomber diving late to grab the leading duo in the shadows of the post, beating Leighton Hest by a half head. In a tight finish Roydon Flash was only a head away in third.
The win was just what the doctor ordered for Hubert Christey, it is hoped the long-time harness racing patron will make a full recovery, we wish him all the best. Master Bomber will now be aimed towards a start in the Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup at Motukarara on October 3. "He's won on the track before and should be better for the run the other night," O'Reilly said.
Master Bomber has now won eight of 33 starts and has been placed on 10 occasions with stake earnings of $84,000.
Credit: Steve Dolan writing in Harnesslink