By Michael Guerin
John Dunn knows American Tart may need every favour she can muster to claim group one glory at Addington tomorrow night but believes she has already got the biggest one.
The speedster mare is drawn wide on the front line in the $100,000 Breeders Stakes and while that doesn’t sound ideal, driver Dunn sees it as a major tactical advantage over his three main rivals.
Because American Tart has high gate speed and Dunn thinks that gives him a chance to at least get in front of Bonnie Joan, Better B Amazed and Utmost Delight, all of who are drawn the second line.
“She gets her chance now because even though she is wide I reckon I can stay in front of those other good mares,” said Dunn.
“And the way she went last start then she can probably win. But she is going to need nothing to go wrong because Bonnie Joan was super last start too.”
The latter clearly outpointed American Tart two weeks after sitting parked, with Utmost Delight a booming late third in the same race.
So if American Tart is made to burn early by those inside her to get to the markers on Friday night, then Bonnie Joan would be favoured to beat her again.
Better B Amazed worked too hard last start so might enjoy her second line draw tonight and ran third in this race last year to two Jewels winners in The Orange Agent and Piccadilly Princess so is good enough to win if the other favourites work too hard.
Dunn warns punters to expect improvement from Yagunnakissmeornot, the trotting mare he unofficially co-trains with his father Robert, in the opening race at Alexandra Park on Friday night.
“She badly needed her run last week but still made good ground in a fast last 800m,” says Dunn.
Back to her favourite 1700m distance and off the front line in a race where her fellow open class opponents are not at their peak, the sit-sprint specialist appeals tomorrow night.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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