Kiwi reinsmen Dexter Dunn and Mark Purdon scored their first wins of the World Drivers Championship in the fifth and final leg of the series at Charlottetown in Canada yesterday.
The title was narrowly won by Canada’s James MacDonald, 31, who triumphed in his home province of Prince Edward Island.
Defending champion Dunn had recorded five seconds, but finally broke his duck as Kennairn Fame ($9) overcame a check and moved up four wide to storm away in the penultimate heat.
Purdon grabbed his first win of the series in the last heat when Painted Pony ($9.40) took off at the 800m and surged clear for the Canterbury trainer-driver.
Purdon also ran second in the opening race on Jays Little Spark and his later victory saw him avoid the wooden spoon.
Dunn (166 points) finished fourth overall and Purdon (124.5) was 10 th behind MacDonald (211), who narrowly held off flying Finn Mika Forss (193).
MacDonald was locked away on Instant Shadow from the second row in the last race, finishing eighth, while Forss, who had to win the last heat and hope that the Canadian ace finished last, faded to ninth behind Fly With Max after being parked out.
Forss had put the heat on with a second and third, while MacDonald had a sole third and was relegated from second behind Dunn when Pick N Scoop raced erratically entering the last lap.
“Its been a great week but to get a win makes it really special,’’ Dunn said of the five-leg series.
“It’s been brilliant in Canada, it’s a great place, the people are great, the countryside is brilliant. Look at the crowd here tonight.’’
MacDonald, 31, is the fourth Canadian to win the title in 27 WDC events, following dual champion Jody Jamieson in 2011 and 2001.
Sylvain Filion took it out in 1999 and his late uncle Herve Filion won the first event in 1970.
Final points:
1 James MacDonald (Canada) 211
2 Mika Forss (Finland) 193
3 Marcus Miller (United States) 181.5
4 Dexter Dunn (New Zealand) 166
5 Bjorn Goop (Sweden) 152
6 Noel Baldacchino (Malta) 148
7 Eirik Hoitomt (Norway) 136
8= Shane Graham (Australia) 135
8= Gerhard Mayr (Austria) 135
10 Mark Purdon (New Zealand) 124.5
11 Rik Depuydt (Belgium) 107
