KEY POINTS:
Racing's wonder boy Dexter Dunn believes driving at Alexandra Park can only get easier - and that was after he made the most sensational debut seen on the track in years.
The 18-year-old has taken harness racing by storm this season, winning a remarkable 90 races to sit second on the national drivers' premiership with over three months of the season to go.
He looks a certainty to break Mark Jones' record for the most wins by a New Zealand junior in a season, 100, while he should also top $1 million in stakes - another record.
All of this after driving just four winners in the half season he spent in New Zealand last year, an improvement so dramatic that if he was a horse he would spend the next month being drug-tested.
But while Dunn has taken his unbelievable success in his stride, he admits his Alexandra Park debut two weeks ago was a surreal experience.
Dunn won the $130,000 group one Caduceus Club Classic on 34-1 chance Rona Lorraine but still left the track bemused by a series of shocking drives.
"It was a strange experience right from the start," he said. "Because I had never driven right-handed I even found warming the horses up in their preliminaries strange. I kept thinking somebody was going to come around the corner and crash into me because I was going the wrong way."
Things started poorly when first drive Benny Mac failed as hot favourite, while his GN Oaks drive Angelas Dream produced a shocker.
And even his winning drive on Rona Lorraine is one he isn't proud of.
"As everybody knows I got pushed out with a lap to go, which didn't look pretty, but as it turned out it won me the race. It was definitely the horse who got the job done and not me."
Dunn says he expects Friday night's premier meeting to be easier than his last assignment but it will also contain more pressure because Rona Lorraine will be among the favourites.
"I will adapt to [the track] quicker this time," says Dunn, who will drive at four meetings in four different provinces before the weekend is over.
"And I have too adapt because I realise I have to be as comfortable at Alexandra Park as I am at Addington.
"A lot of the big races are up there and my goal is to drive in as many of them as I can."
Dunn will pilot Rona Lorraine in the $150,000 Sales Series Final on Friday night and says the filly has to go close to winning again.
"Her last performance was massive but I can't tip her to your readers because I don't want to jinx her in a group one race. I think Absolute Magic [race nine] is my best chance, anyway. He is a pretty good horse."
Exciting trotter Sno's Big Boy will miss Friday night's $90,000 Sires Stakes for 3-year-olds.
Trainer Steven Reid says the colt, who won at Alexandra Park last Friday, had a high temperature yesterday.
He is confident the speedster will be back for the Northern Trotting Derby next week.
