Dwayne Dunn takes the honours at Sportingbet Park
Top jockey Dwayne Dunn and training operation Hawkes Racing closed Wednesday’s Sportingbet Park – Sandown Hillside meeting with back-to-back victories when talented three-year-old Ninth Legion returned to the winner’s list in the Le Pines Funerals Handicap (1400m).
The win by the son of Fastnet Rock gave Dunn three winners on the trot and followed on from Word Gets Around’s ($5) success for Hawkes Racing in The BMW Handicap (1800m).
Dunn’s earlier win came from the performance of the David Hayes-trained Gerontius ($6.50) in the Sportingbet Handicap (1800m).
Wayne Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his brother Michael and father John, said Ninth Legion had benefited from the firm track offered on the Sandown Hillside course.
"He didn’t win by a big margin but it’s always hard to beat the older horses,” Hawkes told TVN.
"He worked the Melbourne way of going in Sydney last week but he’s only worked once [at Flemington] and the times he ran were a bit scary. He’s a pretty high-class horse.
"We just wanted to get him out of Sydney and off those bog tracks.”
Hawkes said he’s "not sure” if Ninth Legion would remain in Melbourne or return to Sydney for a black-type event during the upcoming Sydney Carnival. He did indicate Sydney’s weather would be a deciding factor.
Ninth Legion ($2.35 fav) defeated the Greg Eurell-trained Sweet Ella ($9) by a neck with Patience ($9.50), from the David Hayes stable, another neck back in third.
Meanwhile, the John Sadler-trained Go Again ($3.50 eq fav) made an impressive racetrack debut when scoring in the Swettenham Stud Dash For Cash (900m) running a track record time of 50.12 seconds.
Go Again is the first foal of the former outstanding juvenile Danehill Smile. She defeated the Matt Laurie-trained Se Sauver ($8.50) by a nose with six lengths back to the third placegetter, Zeffiretta ($3.50 eq fav) from the Peter Moody stable.
Story: Clinton Payne www.racenet.com.au/news/88049/Dwayne-Dunn-takes-the-honours-at-Sportingbet-Park