Dylan Dunn To Continue Apprenticeship With David Hayes

Rising young hoop Dylan Dunn, the son of prolific Group 1 winning jockey Dwayne Dunn, will relocate to Melbourne to continue his apprentice with David Hayes.

Dylan Dunn has ridden plenty of winners since he started his riding career in January. Photo by: Jenny Barnes

Dylan Dunn has ridden plenty of winners since he started his riding career in January. Photo by: Jenny Barnes

Dunn made his riding debut in January this year when he rode at Ceduna on Ceduna Cup Day and he has stamped himself as one of the best young jockeys in South Australia with a string of impressive rides; with youngster recording 34 race wins from his 316 rides to date.

Dunn has been indentured to Phillip Stokes since he moved to Adelaide at the end of last year and has been given plenty of opportunities by the leading South Australian trainer, but will move back to Melbourne to be closer to his family at the end of the year.

Hayes told Sky Racing HQ that he has known Dunn since he was a child based in Hong Kong with his father and the leading trainer said that he was more than happy to give the young hoop an opportunity in Victoria.

“Dylan is joining us,” Hayes said.

“He has been coming through the ranks in Adelaide and he looks a talented young rider like his father.

“Dwayne asked me if we would be interested in having him and I knew him from the Hong Kong days; he used to live in the floor below us and muck around with my boys, so it will be a pleasure to have him and he starts with me in the New Year.

“He has started to punch through a few city winners and his claim will be really handy.

“He tends to ride a bit heavier on the scale, but that to me is really proving that he is a very dedicated and hardworking young man.”

The Hayes and Dunn families have a long history together and Dwayne Dunn has had more rides for the Lindsay Park Team than any other stable in the past decade.

Dunn combined with Hayes to record the biggest win of his racing career when he rode Tawqeet to victory in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) after taking out the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) a week earlier, while the duo combined to win the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) three years in a row with Nadeem (2006), Sleek Chassis (2007) and Reaan (2008).

“We have had a great association with Dwayne over the years and he is still riding a lot of winners for me,” Hayes said.

“It will be good to have his son.”

Dunn has his last winner for Hayes when he took out the Group 3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) with Fast ‘N’ Rocking at Sandown on November 15.

About The Author

Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.