Got The Chocolates Cements Leading Three-Year-Old Status

A burgeoning rivalry is developing between NZB Standardbred graduates Marketplace (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) and Got The Chocolates (NZ) (Art Major), giving an injection of excitement to the New Zealand harness racing scene.
While Marketplace was the gun juvenile and early hype horse, Got The Chocolates has dominated the three-year-old ranks and cemented his status as the dominant horse of his age group when winning the Listed The Velocity (1980m) at Addington Raceway on Show Day.

Marketplace rocketed off the mobile arm to take an early lead, while Got The Chocolates was stuck three-wide early, having to burn plenty of petrol to find the parked position. 

Driver Craig Ferguson opened up Marketplace down the back straight and he built a margin on his rivals, one that steadily improved from the 400m, with only Got The Chocolates taking chase. The Art Major gelding dug in deep and started to slowly eat into Marketplace’s lead down the home straight and was able to eventually get his nose in front in the final few strides to win by half neck.
Driver John Dunn was left in awe of Got The Chocolate’s performance.

“He is unreal,” Dunn said. “He didn’t get a good trip and it was an unreal time overall, so he must have a big ticker this fella.

“These two three-year-olds are great three-year-olds, and this fella is a pleasure to have in the stable.”

Dunn’s wife Jenna, who co-trains with her father-in-law Robert Dunn, was delighted with the result.

“He has had an amazing prep and he is an amazing horse,” she said. “He can sit out parked and he is pretty cool, calm and collected, and we knew he would put his best food forward.

“He is a chilled customer and he takes everything in his stride.”

Got The Chocolates is out of four-win Bettor’s Delight mare Kate Black, a daughter of multiple Group One winner Kate’s First, and he was offered through Rosedales Farm's 2023 NZB Standardbred National Yearling Sale draft in Christchurch where he was purchased by Diamond Racing for $90,000.
He has built an enviable record, having now won nine, including three at Group One level, and placed in 11 of his 23 starts to date, and earned more than $530,000 in prizemoney.