DEXTER WINS 3 FROM 8 ON FIRST DAY

NZ's driver of the year Dexter Dunn is again at the top of the drivers premiership after the first day of competition at Invercargill on Sunday, August 1.

Dexter, in his 5th and final season as a holder of a junior licence, won his third straight overall NZ Drivers Championship last season.

He finished last term on 168 wins (37 clear of runnerup David Butcher) after scoring with a pick-up drive behind favourite Wilusi Blues in the opener at Addington last Friday night.

Dexter was snapped up for Wilusi Blues after co-trainer Terry Chmiel, who had been holidaying on the Gold Coast, had his return flight delayed due to fog on Australia's eastern seaboard.

The Kentuckiana Lodge-based reinsman co-leads after the first day of the new term with Wyndham's Brendon McLellan with three wins apiece, but gets top billing with three seconds and a third from his eight drives, reining the winners of $11,443.

He began the season in style with a well-timed finish with the Billy Heads-trained favourite Reunite to win the opening race of the season, the Kelvin Hotel Trot, getting up to beat stablemate Leave It Alone (Nathan Williamson) in the shadows of the post.

Two races later, Dexter delivered with another favourite, the Graeme Anderson/Amber Hoffman-trained Hanoverthemoneyhoney, which he kept going long enough to hold by half a length in a maiden fillies and mares 1700m.

After trying hard but coming up a head short adrift of Lady Lozza behind the Sheldon Murtha-owned and Anderson/Hoffman-trained Jackie Onassis in a 1-2 fillies and mares 1700m, Dexter teamed up with former Kentuckiana Lodge pacer Hilarious Life to take out the 2-3 wins Southland Harness Awards Mobile Pace.

Again driving the favourite, Dexter gave the 6YO Life Sign gelding a charmed run in behind the leaders, then pounced late for a neck win over Woodlands Lifeline, Jaspers Blue Jean and Del Sur.

Hilarious Life, prepared again in recent months by Rangiora trainer Philip Vermeulen, was notching his seventh career win, but only his fourth penalty-bearing win.

Dexter has combined with Hilarious Life for all seven wins _ the first coming when initially trained by Philip Vermeulen to win his Waikouaiti debut two and a half years ago.

The year younger half-brother to the smart but lightly-raced Most Happy Alex (three wins from 10 starts) was transferred to Cran Dalgety for his next five wins.

Hilarious Life took his career earnings to $42,487 with his new season victory, achieved in a 2:01.2 mile rate for the mobile 2200m, with the leaders finishing off over their last quarter in 27.6s.

Dexter wound up the short eight-race programme by reining another favourite for the Anderson/Hoffman team in Artique to chase home front-running Canterbury visitor Atom Of Courage (Regan Todd) in the final even, the 1-2 wins Macca Lodge Mobile Pace.