Dunn searching for a little gate speed with Got The Chocolates
Matt Markham - Raceform • October 9th, 2025 2:30 PM • 4 min read
He’s got the horsepower, the sheer determination and toughness like no other, but John Dunn would love to be able to find some gate speed for brilliant three-year-old Got The Chocolates.
For a horse with very few vices, it’s a big one at the elite level and one which Dunn knows is the one thing holding him back from being the superstar in an exceptional crop of pacers.
“If anyone knows where I could find some, I’d love to hear from them,” Dunn said of the lack of early speed.
“He just gets up behind the gate and won’t go right up on it. It’s worse when he’s drawn four, five or six, he doesn’t like seeing Ricky’s face (starter Ricky Donnelly).
“We’re going to go with a brush shadow roll this week instead of the fluffy one and hopefully that might help.”
The bad news there is the barrier of four in Friday night’s Gr. 1 Dakins Group 3YO Flying Stakes at Addington – a potentially tricky draw made tougher with Rubira landing the coveted ace.
“That makes it tough, especially with Rubira drawn so well, but I can’t fault him at home. He puts in these massive performances each start and then bounces through them like they were nothing. He’s a happy horse and his work has been good.”
With an improved Marketplace also in the fold, Friday night’s Group One won’t be for the faint-hearted and Dunn gets a little consolation in the knowledge that there’s few, if any, tougher than his drive.
“He will just keep giving for you and won’t stop. I sometimes worry about how often we ask him to do it, but the way he comes through the runs suggests he’s not taking anything out of himself.
“I don’t want to sit parked with him all the time, but sometimes it’s his best chance of winning.”
Dunn also said he was happy with how Mighty Logan had come through his last run ahead of the Gr. 3 Braxton Farriers Worthy Queen and was looking forward to stepping him out over the 2000 metres with a head start on his rivals.
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