Racing: Dunn by horror draw

After a season of non-stop winning, Dexter Dunn will carry a different ambition to Tabcorp Park tonight.

Because the champion Kiwi reinsman's first priority when driving Smiling Shard in his semifinal of the Australasian Breeders Crown is to earn a spot in Sunday week's rich final.

"Winning would be a bonus," admits Dunn.

He is not alone in that attitude as fellow Kiwi drivers Tony Herlihy, David Butcher and Mark Purdon also face horror draws as they attempt to secure places in the finals with their charges.

Six of the seven New Zealand pacers racing tonight have second-line draws to overcome, most made worse by the favoured Australian runners drawing well.

And a semifinal of the Breeders Crown is one of the worst times in harness racing to draw poorly.

The semis tend to be uncompetitive as most drivers simply want to finish in the first five (2-year-olds) or six (3-year-olds) to be guaranteed their spot in the super-rich finals on August 23.

So drivers on inferior horses often hand the lead to the favourites, hoping to get dragged into the final, and with little mid-race pressure horses back in the field have to make their own luck.

And Dunn believes that could be the case for Smiling Shard and most of the Kiwis tonight.

"It is actually a very fair track and one where you can come from the back," said Dunn of Victoria's new home of harness racing.

"But the way these races stack up I can see a lot of good horses leading and dominating and those of us out the back having to come wide.

"While I think our fella can win, if Chariot King leads from the ace then I have to start thinking about qualifying for the final rather than rushing up and attacking him and putting that in jeopardy."

Smiling Shard looks as good as the Australian juveniles but unless Bathurst Gold Crown winner Chariot King gets roughed up early, the Kiwi pacer will do well to simply run a place.

The 2-year-old pacing fillies probably represent New Zealand's best chance of a semifinal win, with Flying Pocketlands and Zenstar.

Zenstar is not as good as NSW filly Lady Euthenia but the latter has a tricky draw while Zenstar has barrier two and with the likely pattern of racing, could have a decent advantage.

Flying Pocketlands faces a tricky draw in the opening heat of the night (which won't be covered by the New Zealand TAB) and could have to concede hot favourite Lady Belladonna a start.

But Flying Pocketlands is a good stayer and best placed of the New Zealand reps to do some work and still win.

Harness Jewels winners Tintin In America faces a near mission-impossible task from a second-line draw in a race where Captain Joy should lead and win.

Our Mercurio faces the same problem against budding star Bonavista Bay, while Carolines Cullen and Our Imagine Me have second-line draws in the strongest 3-year-old filly heats, against Oaks winners Ima Spicey Lombo and Elixir.

SEMIFINAL VICTORY WOULD BE BONUS

* Seven New Zealand-trained pacers contest semifinals of the rich Breeders Crown at Melton tonight.

* Six have second-line draws, while many of the Australian favourites have drawn perfectly.

* Dexter Dunn, for whom winning has become a habit, admits his first priority tonight is to qualify Smiling Shard for the final. Victory would be a bonus.