Got The Chocolates Gets The Chocolates In Group Three

Got The Chocolates (NZ) (Art Major) made a winning start to his four-year-old season when taking out the Group Three The Legend That’s Marting Larter Autumn FFA (1980m) at Addington Raceway last Friday.

The Robert and Jenna Dunn-trained gelding developed a burgeoning rivalry with Marketplace (NZ) (Bettor’s Delight) last season, and while the latter had the final say when winning the Group One New Zealand Pacing Derby (2600m) and subsequently crowned Champion Three-Year-Old Colt or Gelding, Got The Chocolates is the first to get on the board as a four-year-old with last Friday night’s deeds.

Driver John Dunn was able to navigate his charge into the one-one early before sitting parked at the bell, with Harrison John (NZ) (Always B Miki) pushing forward to take the lead. Got The Chocolates loomed ominously at the home turn and under the urgings of Dunn he drew clear to score by 2-¼ lengths over the Hayden and Amanda Cullen-trained gelding.

“The race couldn’t have worked out much better. They went hard early, three of them took the front and he has relaxed parked,” John Dunn said. 

“You still have to go after him down the straight, he is a laidback sort of fella, but when I pushed the go button he has got good speed. He had a good blow and hopefully he comes on from that.

“All going well, we will head to Auckland now.”

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 Rosedale 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 10 and placed in 12 of his 25 starts to date and has accrued nearly $600,000 in prizemoney.