Dawkins shows them how it’s done

DANE DAWKINS, 2022 champion jockey, on winter break from Assiniboia Downs in Canada, reminded the local colony of his skills by notching a three-timer yesterday, including a searing run with 7-1 outsider RAINSVILLE to nail 1-2 favourite RUN JULIE RUN at the wire in the Errol ‘Big Sub’ Memorial at a mile for overnight-allowance runners.

Similar to his flying finish astride another Richard Azan runner, PERFECT BREW, in the recent Vassell ‘Jolly Man’ Najair Memorial, mowing down 7-1 outsider MONEY MARKET, Dawkins once again stuck it to Paul Francis, nipping the journeyman rider, who thought he had the feature race sewn-up after getting rid of pace-setting American, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE.

RAINSVILLE, a late-kicking grey, who recently showed signs of form-recovery, finishing second to D HEAD CORNERSTONE at nine furlongs and 25 yards early September, started his winning run leaving the half-mile marker to straighten fourth, still some way off UNBELIEVABLE FORCE making life miserable for RUN JULIE RUN and American debutant SHEER DELIGHT in chase of the pair.

Strong on the lead from down the backstretch with title-chasing Raddesh Roman, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE appeared unstoppable in her hat-trick bid, dwarfing local heroine RUN JULIE RUN, who was almost invisible on the outside of the big American with three furlongs to run.

Swinging for home, UNBELIEVABLE FORCE kicked on, a six-furlong split of 1:12.1 in soggy underfoot conditions after an opening half-mile in 23.0 and 45.3, fractions which had RUN JULIE RUN off her legs but not short on courage, which seemingly paid off when the exhausted American swerved right a furlong out.

Rallying along the rail after being switched to avoid UNBELIEVABLE FORCE, RUN JULIE RUN inherited the lead, but RAINSVILLE came flying between horses in the slop to win by a half-length, handing Dawkins his third winner and second for Richard Azan after teaming up to land the BGLC-TOBA Heroes Sprint for the Millionaires Series with two-year-old DANKA.

Going gate-to-wire at five furlongs round in Race 2, Series 1, DANKA won owner Monique Azan a $1 million BGLC-TOBA bonus, denying Jason DaCosta’s BEAUTIFUL SUNSET, who closed rapidly in a bid to hand the champion trainer’s owners a fourth cheque in the Millionaires Series after HIMAYA won a $2 million bonus for Elizabeth DaCosta in Race 2, Series 3, last Saturday.

Dawkins’ second winner on the nine-race card was 5-1 chance COOKIE DAY N NIGHT for Gary Subratie, leading home stablemate NOBLE ATTITUDE, a 14-1 outsider, for a whopping exacta of $2,262.

Upstaged by Dawkins, leading rider Tevin Foster and Roman had to settle for one winner apiece, opening the programme as though they were about to set the house on fire. Foster produced NALA’S BUSHMAN with a very late run to collar subsequently disqualified SENSATIONAL GOLD among $400,000 optional claimers at seven furlongs.

Roman, who started the day trailing Foster by four winners, made it as you were by powering home 3-5 favourite SIR JOHN in the second at seven furlongs against $750,000 optional claimers.

Racing continues this afternoon with a Ketch 9 mandatory payout starting at $2.6 million when the horses head to post at noon for the first of nine races.