Horse Racing
20 January, 2026
Dunn family faith pays off
It was a day to remember for Horsham horseman Aaron Dunn.
Not only did Dunn go back-to-back from last year to this year in the Matthews Petroleum Hamilton Pacing Cup, he also trained the quinella, with Forty Love taking the honours and the 2025 winner Dee Roe finishing second, driven by Jackie Barker.
Forty Love worked forward at the start to find the front in the 2660m event and led throughout, fighting off a late challenge from stablemate Dee Roe, with the pair racing away to put a margin on the rest of the field.
Third place went to Jilliby Nitro, driven by Lochie Cook, who finished 18m behind.
“I had a glance behind me and saw it was between us two,” Dunn said.
“Jackie was travelling better than me but I knew he would keep slogging away.”
Dunn praised the impact the Hamilton Cup had had on his career.
“I'd never won a true country cup until last year in Victoria,” Dunn said to on-track MC Cody Winnell.
“To think, if I’d said 10 years ago that I would have the two favourites run first and second in the cup here at Hamilton, I would nearly say that’s not right.
"But it’s come to be the case and I am very proud of the horses and thankful for all the workers and people around me.”
Forty Love was bred by Aaron's mum and dad, Barry (deceased) and Yvonne, from their lightly raced mare Shadow Scooter (two wins).
His lineage goes back nearly 40 years to when Barry purchased a Keystone Scotch US filly that he named and raced as Koomberkine (six wins and 19 minor placings).
Sunday's victory took Forty Love's record to 10 wins, 11 placings and $136,122 from 29 starts.