INUWASHI SHOWS FAIR STAYING PROMISE

By Graham Potter | Wednesday, June 14, 2023

The Irish-bred Inuwashi scored his first win for the Tony and Maddysen Sears training partnership when he prevailed in a rousing two-horse battle to win a BM70 Handicap over 2040m at Doomben om June 14.

The son of Free Eagle had raced twelve times for two wins (over 1600m and 1900m) for trainer Chris Waller before being transferred to the Sears camp, who gave him his stable debut, first-up over 1350 back in March.

Inuwashi was then gradually sent over more ground in his next three starts … going from 1600m to 1800m to 2400m … before coming back to 2040m in a Class 3 Handicap in the start prior to the Doomben outing, where he recorded an improved result, finishing third, 2.35 lengths off the winner.

Interestingly enough, the winner on that occasion was another Irish-bred horse, the Annabel Neasham trained Fawkner Park … but, more importantly as a point of reference, Fawkner’s form clearly franked the value of Inuwashi’s performance there … as the Neasham runner was winning for the second in a row in that race and he would go on to make it three in a row and five wins from only three starts in his next race.

So, Inuwashi did come into the Doomben contest well primed and she started as a joint second favourite with Chayse ‘N’ Artie at $5.50 … and it would be these two runners who fought out the finish.

There was nothing between these two runners on the betting boards and the same could be said for much of what had become a two-way battle over the last 200 as they surged to the front together.

They had got to that position following different routes in the race. Chayse ‘N’ Artie had pushed forward early before settling just off the speed until the home turn, whereas Inuwashi settled further back second last, then third last … and racing wide, until Ben Thompson revved him up as early as approaching the 700m mark, chasing him up out wide to improve his position.

Inuwashi did that, but he had already put in a fairly big effort by the time he straightened, five wide and still two lengths behind Chayse ‘N’ Artie, who was about to make his play for the lead.

When that move came, Inuwashi was still in full cry down the outside. By the 250m mark, Inuwashi was almost alongside Chayse ‘N’ Artie. By the 150m mark he was alongside, but Chayse ‘N’ Artie was not going away and a stirring stride for stride battle then ensued with the Sears trained runner finally edging ahead when it mattered most to claim a hard fought win.

The long, sustained run marked Inuwashi as a stayer of some promise while he the fact that he was up the fight, when he would have been entitled to feel the pinch. showed a strong mental attitude which is also likely to serve him well moving forward.

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