On May 4 Dunn, who often drives in the shadow of his brilliant premiership-winning young brother Dexter, nailed his first Group One victory behind Yankee Dream in the $170,000 Sires Championship for 2-year-old Fillies. Tonight he won the Group Two $70,000 2009 Franklin Trotting Cup behind the horse his father Robert trains at Templeton - Rider On The Storm.

"Alexandra Park has been pretty good to me. I like coming here. This fella is a nice horse. He has really grown another leg in the past couple of months. He did it easy tonight," Dunn said.

Dunn led and then trailed with the 5-year-old Live Or Die gelding. At the finish line they had three-quarters of a length to spare over second placed Power Of Tara (Tony Herlihy) with another three-quarters of a length to back-marker Changeover (David Butcher), who were third.

Rider On The Storm paced the 3200m stand in 4:02.2 (mile rate: 2:01.7) with final 800m and 400m sectionals of 58.1 and 28.6 seconds. It was Rider On The Storm's 12th win from 37 starts. He's also placed 14 times for $177,995 in career stakes.

"The way he won tonight I don't think it will be his last. He will stay here until January and compete in all the races up here over the Christmas Carnival. The ($45,000) Summer Cup on New Year's Eve is his next target," Dunn said.

Rider On The Storm followed up his second behind Nearea Franco in the Kaikoura Cup with a win at Addington on November 13. That was also a 3200m stand where he and Dunn recorded a winning time of 4:03.

"He's a great follower of speed and sees out the two miles (3200m) really well. He's really starting to come of age this time in. He would not be out of place in next year's New Zealand Cup," Dunn said.

It was Dunn's 19th win of the season and he currently sits ninth on the national driving premiership - 42 wins behind his brother who is well clear at the top of the table. Robert Dunn on the other hand is in fifth position on the training premiership with 17 wins - 13 behind leaders Steve Reid/Graeme Rogerson and Mark Purdon/Grant Payne.

The Stats:

Top Sire: Live Or Die 3 wins.

Top Trainer: Ken Barron 3 wins.

Top Driver: Ken Barron 3 wins.

Top Junior Driver: Jared Lamb and Kelly Blakemore 1 win each.

Results form the Franklin Trotting Club's meeting held at Alexandra Park tonight (Friday) in Auckland were:

Race 1: The Ken Barron trained and driven SOUNDS ALIVE (Live Or Die).

Race 2: The Ian Moody trained SHEBAR SPIDER (Armbro Invasion) Maurice McKendry.

Race 3: The Ken Barron trained and driven THERE'S A DANCER (Falcon Seelster).

Race 4: The Doug Gale trained RED ZONE (Red River Hanover) Brent Mangos.

Race 5: The Barry Purdon & Scott Phelan trained AMBOSELI (Christian Cullen) Jared Lamb.

Race 6: The James Stormont trained and driven SURROUND SOUND (Holmes Hanover).

Race 7: The Sue Martin trained DESERT BLAZE (Sundon) Kelly Blakemore (j).

Race 8: The Ken Barron trained and driven STILL COUGHIN (Live Or Die).

Race 9: The Robert Dunn trained RIDER ON THE STORM (Live OR Die) John Dunn.

Race 10: The Andrew & Lynn Neal trained TRIGIRL BRIGADE (Mach Three) Andrew Neal.

Race 11: The Mark Purdon & Grant Payne trained TOUCH OF SILVER (Mach Three) Mark Purdon.

Extensive results.

Duane RANGER (editor)