Written by Richard Edmunds
After three gallant Group 1 placings in the last 12 months, Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock) had his day in the sun in Saturday’s G1 The Agency George Ryder S. at Rosehill.
On this day last year, the John Thompson-trained son of Fastnet Rock finished third in the George Ryder behind the legendary Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) and quality 3-year-old Brutal (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}).
Two weeks later he tried to lead all the way in the Doncaster, coming up just short and finishing second to Brutal.
In the spring, he beat the rising star Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) in the G2 Tramway S. before another runner-up finish behind Avilius (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) in the G1 George Main S.
Dreamforce lunges and wins the G1 George Ryder S.
But Saturday was the Group 1 moment that Dreamforce’s connections had been longing for.
Ridden by Nash Rawiller, the 7-year-old jumped well and went straight to his customary front-running position. While the hot favourite, Te Akau Shark, was out wide and over-racing, Dreamforce was doing everything with ease.
Rawiller started to apply more pressure coming up to the home turn, and he pinched a break on the field at the top of the straight.
New Zealand’s pair of last-start Sydney Group 1 winners, Te Akau Shark and The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), tried their best to run him down in the last 200 metres, but Dreamforce refused to surrender. He edged out The Bostonian by a short neck, with another 1.25l back to Te Akau Shark in third.
It was the 12th win of Dreamforce’s career, and lifted his career earnings past $2 million.
“He deserved this,” Thompson said. “He’s so honest. He’s the most honest horse I’ve ever had.
“It's tough being a leader, because you're doing the work all the time and you’re the one left there. That makes them vulnerable. But on his day, he's as good as any of them.
“His run the other day (eighth in the G1 Chipping Norton S.) was a bit better than it might have looked. He just went a bit too keenly in front.
John Thompson and Nash Rawiller
“Nash knows the horse really well. He’s a bit of a funny horse – if you hold on to him, he goes too keenly; if you throw the reins at him, he relaxes nicely.
“But Nash just had him in a nice rhythm today, and when you do that, he always gives you a good kick.
“Nash said to me before the race that if the horse was travelling well, he would try to get out into the better going in the straight. So when he came out so wide after the turn, I knew he must have been confident.
“This horse is a tough bugger. He’s tough to run down, especially when he has an easy time in front. He had it easy in front in the Doncaster and ran a fantastic race for second, and it was the same again today.
John Thompson all smiles after Dreamforce's win
“Te Akau Shark didn’t have a great run in transit this time, there was no luck for him today, but I’m sure he’ll bounce back.
“But this was very good for our horse, and so well deserved.”
Thompson has yet to decide whether Dreamforce will take another shot at the G1 Doncaster in two weeks’ time, or wait for the G1 All Aged S. later next month.
Rawiller’s roll continues
Earlier this month, comeback jockey Nash Rawiller rode his first Group 1 winner since his return from Hong Kong, guiding The Bostonian to victory in the Canterbury S.
On Saturday he struck again, this time inflicting a narrow defeat on The Bostonian as he pulled off a superb all-the-way win on Dreamforce.
Nash Rawiller
“It feels like a long way down that straight,” Rawiller said. “I put the pedal to the metal well before the turn, then cut the corner and then continued out into the better ground wider out on the track. I was hoping my move might throw the rest of the field into a bit of disarray.
“He gave a lovely turn of foot, but I really thought at about the 100-metre mark that he would get beaten. To his credit, he really lifted and fought the other bloke off, which was pretty thrilling.
“John Thompson has been amazing since I came back, and also the owner John McGrath, he’s been full of support.”
Jockeys pleased with Kiwi stars
James McDonald and Opie Bosson, who rode the New Zealand stars The Bostonian and Te Akau Shark into minor placings, were pleased with their mounts’ efforts.
The Tony Pike-trained The Bostonian was previously a Group 1 winner of the Doomben 10,000, Kingsford Smith Cup and Canterbury S. over shorter distances. The step up to 1500 metres was no problem on Saturday, coming up just short of catching the all-the-way winner Dreamforce.
“It was a super run,” McDonald said. “He is going well.”
Opie Bosson
Despite his defeat as $1.95 favourite on Saturday, Bosson believes the Jamie Richards-trained Te Akau Shark remains on track for the 2000-metre Queen Elizabeth S. on April 11.
“The 1500 metres was probably just a little bit too sharp for him today,” he said.
