Porsche back on the grid

The highly talented Always A Porsche (Always B Miki) is back at the racetrack after nearly two years off the scene.

“He had suspensory troubles so we gave him a couple of spells and brought him back in again. He’s got chalky sesamoids and we just felt the bone hadn’t healed enough, so we gave him more time out on the hill block. The sesamoids are getting harder all the time and we haven’t had any trouble this time in, touch wood,” said Robert Dunn who co-trains the gelding with his daughter-in-law Jenna.

The giant gelding who is now five, was back at the trials at Rangiora where he won his heat by a length and a quarter in the hands of Tim Williams.

“Tim said he ran the last half on his clock in 55. And he was only just jogging it and his heart rate was terrific afterwards.”

Always A Porsche qualified at Rangiora as a three year old and had two starts in the south before he was sent north to the Dunn’s Pukekohe barn.

In six starts at Alexandra Park he won four races.

“He was getting too awkward to drive the Addington way round as a young horse, so we brought him north. He was a real big horse and not a real natural, so we gave him a bit of time. But he always showed potential right from the early days.”  

Purchased at the 2022 NZB Standardbred Yearling Sales for $62,000, Always A Porsche is out of the 37 win Road Machine mare Ann Other Vance who did most of her racing in America.

“He was a good looking horse and the reason I bought him was that I’d had a lot of success with that family with Billy Badger, Stars Tonight and Need You Know. At the Sales he was a lovely athletic looking horse. I was always going to buy him.”

The stable has always had a high opinion of the gelding.

“Grant Eynon (owner) and I actually bought a slot for the three year old race because we thought so much of him. Two days after Grant bought the slot, he raced and bolted in but then he went sore so we had to pull the plug.”

Robert says he’s unsure about when Always A Porsche will race. It’s something he’ll talk about with his son John when he returns from holiday in Australia.

“He’s got incredibly strong now and he’s a big powerful horse. He’s just got that raw ability and if we can keep him sound, he’s going to be an exciting horse.”

by Bruce Stewart, for Harnesslink