Inspire Force turns it around for James B Dawes Memorial

UNITED STATES-BRED INSPIRE FORCE reversed his miserly form with a last-furlong burst of speed to power past rivals in yesterday’s James B Dawes Memorial at odds of 8-1 with champion jockey Raddesh Roman for trainer Philip Feanny and A.C.K Stables.

A storming winner of back-to-back overnight-allowance races last May and June, respectively, INSPIRE FORCE seemingly went into hibernation in the higher classes for his next six races, including a dismal 2025 season-opener with Roman aboard, finishing a distant eighth behind local-bred BENSON at six furlongs on January 18.

Returning a half-furlong shorter in the James B Dawes, his third race back at the overnight-allowance level, after spending the required six months ‘in jail’ in the higher classes, INSPIRE FORCE was all business, turning for home eighth in the 11-horse field before producing an explosive finish.

BANADURA briefly pointed midway the last furlong, creeping forward stealthily along the rail, taking advantage of long-time leader JORDON REIGN’S drift into 3-5 favourite SENSATIONAL MOVE’s path a furlong out.

However, INSPIRE FORCE, who had improved into fifth in the stretch run, produced a thunderous late kick from behind rivals, signatory of his consecutive victories at the level last season, blowing past BANADURA, as well as the wide-running pair of SENSATIONAL MOVE and weakening JORDON REIGN’S, for a near three-length win in 1:06.4.

INSPIRE FORCE handed Roman his second win on the 10-race card after booting home GENERATIONAL in the fourth at five and a half furlongs among million-dollar claimers.

Roman’s two-timer moved him to 10 wins but still remained third in the early jockeys’ standings behind Robert Halledeen on 13 and Shane Ellis, who jumped to 12 with a three-timer.

Ellis opened the programme for a second consecutive meet with back-to-back winners, United States-bred PROPELLANT and three-year-old debutant, EASY MONEY, the winner of the second event at five furlongs round, whose name aptly described out-of-class PROPELLANT’s disgraceful 13-length stroll among local five-year-olds

Ellis also enjoyed an armchair ride astride another foreigner, Peter-John Parsard’s MAIN MISTRESS, who toyed with rivals for a nine-length win at seven and a half furlongs in the ninth among native four-year-olds, non-winners of three races, and imported non-winners of two races.

Panamanian Dick Cardenas rode back-to-back upsetters at the tail-end of the Reggae 6, turning the popular bet on its head by landing the fifth with 11-1 shot SENSATIONAL GOLD and the sixth astride 26-1 chance, United States-bred WICKED CASSIE, a four-year-old out for her third career start, two down-the-track finishes and no speed gallop to her credit at exercise.

SENSATIONAL GOLD and WICKED CASSIE’s upset wins forced a $92,857 Reggae 6 payout and single-winner bonus of $8.2 million carried forward to Saturday, the first of two days of racing to close February’s meet at the weekend.