By Adam Hamilton
NOT since Dexter Dunn have the Kiwis sent such an exciting young driver to Australia as Carter Dalgety.
And it is quite fitting given Dunn is Dalgety's great mate, mentor and inspiration to become NZ's next superstar of the sulky.
Dalgety was just 11 years old when his father, Cran, teamed up with Dunn to win the 2014 Hunter Cup with superstar pacer Christen Me.
Now it's his turn to try and win Victoria's biggest harness race when he drives Republican Party, trained by his mother and father (Chrissie and Cran), on Saturday week.
Before then, 22-year-old Dalgety will drive at Melton for the first time aboard Republican Party in his final lead-up race, Saturday night's Casey Classic.
"I'm extremely excited and it's something that's only really come about in the past 4-6 weeks because Republican Party has gone to another level with those (Group 1) wins at Invercargill and the Auckland Cup," Dalgety said.
"Our family has so much history in Victoria, at Moonee Valley and now Melton. It's certainly fuel for me to succeed given what Dad's achieved here in the past."
Along with Christen Me's Hunter Cup win, Cran Dalgety's breakthrough pacer Desperate Comment transformed his career with successive Victoria Cup wins in 1996 and 1997. Cran was just a year older than Carter is now when he won the first of them.
It will be a baptism of fire for Carter on Saturday night with the unexpected addition of Australasia's champion pacer, Leap To Fame, to the Casey Classic field.
Further, the champ drew ideally in gate three and is a $1.20 favourite. Republican Party is $7 second elect.
"Yeah, and we've drawn right out the back (gate 11), too," Carter said. "It's a heck of an ask this week. I'm glad it's just a lead-up, not the big race.
"You'd expect Leap To Fame to control the race from there, so for us it's more about getting a run into him and hoping he hits the line really well.
"We'll give it our best shot, but Leap To Fame has everything in his favour this week."
Despite the enormity of the challenge, Carter is buzzing at the chance to race Leap To Fame.
"Oh heck yes. He's by far the best horse I've ever seen. He's something else," he said.
"You want to see the best, you want to race against the best. Just being in the same race is really awesome.
"Our guy hasn't raced him yet, so this race will give us a line how we stack up against the very best, which is a good thing going into the Hunter Cup."
Driving at Melton for the first time continues a phenomenal past six months for Dalgety, which has seen him have a six-week stint driving in the US, win NZ's leading junior driver crown and land his second and third Group 1 wins on Republican Party.
"The US was so cool and I feel like I've come back a better driver for it," he said. "Now to come here, especially teaming up with the family, and chasing a Hunter Cup is unreal."