Dynamic DASH and NASH get the CASH at ROSEHILL

14 Mar 21

Nash Rawiller was seen at his brilliant best and the well-known Waterhouse and Bott “Bone and Muscle” was on display, as the Adrian and Gai trained Dynamic Syndications galloper YAO DASH (4yo g Smart Missile x Rahy Storm) sped away in the final race on the programme at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday afternoon, to win it with authority in Class Record time.

It was an awesome effort by our talented sprinter to claim his fourth win in just 12 starts for a top team of loyal Dynamic Syndications Owners.

The task set for YAO DASH cannot be underestimated.

YAO DASH lined up in Race 9, THE CELEBRATIONS Handicap over 1350m on a Good 3 surface in the Benchmark 88 event where he was asked to carry 60.0 kgs, 2.5kgs more than his closet peer.

Such was the domination of this win under the 60.0kgs, YAO DASH was just 0.20 sec outside the Track Record and became only the 5th horse since records started in 1996 to lump the 60.0kgs to victory!

The task was made significantly harder when the barrier draw was released and YAO DASH drew barrier 16 in the field of 17 acceptors (16 runners + 1 emergency).

At 7:30am scratchings time, three runners withdrew leaving a field of 14 runners but when the track was upgraded to a Good 3 during the meeting, two Late Scratchings were granted seeing the field reduce to 12 runners by post time with YAO DASH moving into barrier 11 in the 12 horse field.

YAO DASH is a tricky horse to ride, as he can “think a bit” and has “conned” a few riders during his dozen start career.

However, the strength of NASH RAWILLER, who refuses to accept his quirky behaviour and encourages him to do his best, see’s the horse respond.

Our original plan was to be positive but “not lead” rather sit just behind the speed, in third or fourth position, as he is a horse that does prefer to follow another in a race. However, the scratchings saw several anticipated go forward horses come out of the event.

So, Nash was asked to be positive under the bid weight and take up a forward spot and if nothing wanted to lead, then he could push the go button early but our preference was to sit on speed, trailing the leader, who we anticipated would be Josh Parr on the favourite Starspangled Rodeo (57.5kgs).

However, Nash knows our horse well, so we left it to Nash to make the decision during the race, after the field had run about 150m.

NASH and DASH put on a masterclass to steal the race and the $58,000 first prize cheque, and in the process landed some confident wagers for his connections and punters alike.

Yao Dash - Winner 13.3.21 from Dynamic Syndications on Vimeo.

Pre-race, despite the weight and the barrier draw, we were extremely confident the horse had a wonderful winning chance on his work and advised our owners and followers accordingly.

The plan to run in this race was a masterstroke of placement by Dynamic Syndications Adam Watt, after considering feedback of both Brenton Avdulla and Tim Clark at YAO DASH’s previous few starts.

Tim Clark reported that he didn’t feel Yao Dash was giving him 100% and was holding back in the last 200m of his races.

Tim had ridden YAO DASH when runner-up to Eleven Eleven in the Magic Millions 3YO and 4YO lead-in race at Wyong when Nash Rawiller was unavailable. He reported that he felt the horse had some more to give but didn’t let down as he had hoped.

Then we went up to the Magic Millions Carnival and on Day 1 in the Magic Millions Rising Star, Nash was back aboard and YAO DASH was simply awesome winning the $250,000 race.

We then backed up YAO DASH 7 days later into the $1million Magic Millions Cup.

Under the set weights and conditions race, we knew well in advance we would need another rider as Nash would be unable to make the lighter 54.0kgs. Brenton Avdulla was booked and Brenton gave YAO DASH and 11 out of 10 ride in transit but YAO DASH finished fourth, only 0.6 length from Eleven Eleven (ridden by Nash). Brenton reported he thought he was on the winner at the home turn but the horse just didn’t want to give him 100% effort the final 100m.

To get him back into the winner’s circle, last start we elected to run in a Benchmark 100 event rather than a stakes race to get the weight off his back. He carried 54.0kgs and Tim Clark was back in the saddle. Tim gave him a top-quality ride but YAO DASH ran second again, 1.8 lengths from the winner who carried 52.0kgs.

Tim Clark is very much a team player, and he spoke to Adam in detail well after the race, after he had time to think it over. Tim told Adam that in his opinion, YAO DASH who is a bit quirky and he appreciated Nash’s style. The horse won’t give his best for other riders. So, we would be better trying to find races where he would get enough weight for Nash to ride.

Adam then changed plans and chose the unusual path to drop the horse back in class from a benchmark 100 to this benchmark 88 event, that way he would be given 60.0kgs by the handicapper ensuring Nash could ride him. Gai and Adrian are fantastic team player’s and agreed to follow this requested path and they trained YAO DASH to take his place in this event.

It’s wonderful and extremely satisfying when a plan comes off as visualised. Luck is removed from the equation when horse husbandry; horsemanship and horse management all combine for racetrack success.

Sometimes little fish are sweet and this event was one of these occasions.

Gai and Adrian presented YAO DASH in the best condition we have seen him so far this preparation.

Our vets were delighted with him leading into the race.

He looked a treat in the parade.

As the field went onto the track to make their way around to the start, Nash cantered off and you could see the horse respond to Nash in the saddle, when Nash gave him a couple of pats and a rub on his neck as the duo passed the winning post as they headed to the barriers.

Behind the machines, Nash slipped out of the saddle and YAO DASH walked into the gates as quite as a lamb, as the punters flocked to him, seeing YAO DASH firm in the final two minutes from $4.60 into $4.00 as the jumped.

As the gates crashed back it was an even dispatch, with NASH out wide a head in front of several horses including favourite Starspangled Rodeo with Lina’s Hero and Accessions also pushing up underneath us. Nash bided his time out wide for the first 150m and when the field reached the 1200m, Nash could see that Starspangled Rodeo didn’t have an urgent desire to lead, so he gave YAO DASH some rein and the Dynamic Duo dashed two lengths clear of the field, setting a lovely tempo. We knew that we had the fittest horse in the race and we knew that we can peel off slick sectionals. We wanted to make it a genuine run race to get those chasing out of their comfort zone.

In the first split from the 1200m to the 1000m Nash dominated the race and allowed our horse to peel off a slick 10.65 sec split, which spread out the field over a dozen lengths.

Passing the 1000m, Nash asked YAO DASH to settle and reduce his tempo, where they ran an 11.31 second split and Nash led by 3 lengths in front of the eventual runner-up Starpangled Rodeo. This was where the race was won.

Achieving this gap without our horse working hard and being able to turn-in a nice rhythm, was taking the followers out of their comfort zones, as they had to chase later in the race.

At the 600m Nash had peeled off a balanced 11.37 split and at the 600m, nothing had tried to improve to give chase. As the field swung the home turn, the other riders had begun to work their horses to make up the distance YAO DASH had established.

As the field balanced for the run home at the 400m, Nash and the Dash had peeled off another even split of 11.36 making it mathematically hard for those chasing.

At the 400m, Josh Parr was working on Starspangled Rodeo to bridge the gap but was still a length off YAO DASH with Lina’s Hero who had raced with cover on the back of Sparspangled Rodeo, peeling out of that slipstream to give chase.

Passing the 400m, Nash had a look over his shoulder to see where Starspangled Rodeo was as he angled out to be 4 wide off the fence where Nash believed was the best part of the home straight with his foe to his outside giving chase.

Nash just kept YAO DASH cruising at his own speed, as Starspangled Rodeo being ridden aggressively by Josh Parr worked up to eyeball us at the 300m. Over the next 50m by the 250m, Josh had worked a neck in front of Nash, however the telling part was Nash had not asked YAO DASH for his efforts.

Passing the 200m Nash and Dash had peeled off another balanced split of 11.23 and YAO DASH (60.0kgs) was now back eyeballing Starspangled Rodeo (57.5kgs) for the sprint to the line.

At the 100m was where Nash asked our horse for his supreme effort and YAO DASH responded for his rider stride by stride, working away from the chaser to post a strong and gutsy win by 0.4 length.

It was a masterclass of horsemanship by Nash, it was another typical example as to why we have our horses trained by Gai and Adrian because of their ability to get our horses to perform with fitness and strength.

Nash reported post-race that YAO DASH was “awesome.”

“He did all the tough work there, setting the pace, gave away big weight and he was softened up to be beaten but those chasing were not good enough.”

Nash said “I knew after the first 100m I was on the winner when I was surprised nothing came out to chase him. That allowed me to get them off the bit in chasing.”

Nash added “I knew when Starspangled Rodeo drew level with me it was all out and I hadn’t asked your bloke for an effort. I knew I had the other one covered and when I asked him for his effort, he tried really hard. It was a tough win, he’s at the top of his game. He felt better today than when I won on him on the Gold Coast.”

Sky Channel commentator Lizzie Jelfs said as they crossed the line:

“Well he was just too tough, too tough to get past YAO DASH, that just shows you the absolute fitness and the bone and muscle of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott runner, he hit the line strongly as ever after leading them up. Starspangled Rodeo was so brave in defeat but it was all about this winner YAO DASH, just too, too tough on the day."

Fellow commentator Ron Dufficy added:

“Well mid-race there, you would have thought he’s got no hope, he’s gone out far too hard, but the bone and muscle, back to the dry track, it certainly was the difference there, back in grade, don’t worry about the 60.0kgs, along with that he just run-run-run, Starspangled Rodeo was good and they were the two fit horses in the race and Lina’s Hero was a run short as Yao Dash was too brutal. That was a brutal test, the fittest horse came out on top.”

Lizzie Jelfs interviewed stable foreman Neil Paine post-race and said: “Great to see this horse back into the winners circle, he was beaten by a good filly last start but he showed his true worth today.”

Neil responded: “That was a win and a half, Nash knows this horse so we didn’t have to give him many instructions.

“He had it up against him today, a wide barrier and 60.0kgs but Nash knows the horse and he just let him run and Nash had a cheeky look at the top of the straight and I thought, what’s going on there? Nash must be confident. He let the other horse get to him and then, really got to work on him.”

“He's done terrific in between runs, he’s a horse that just handles all conditions; around the stables he’s terrific. He’s an ideal horse for Gai and Adrian, because he’s really a tough horse, so he suits Gai and Adrian and he also suits Nash Rawiller because Nash is a tough jockey and stands over him, so he’s a perfect horse all round.”

YAO DASH has taken his career to:

12 Starts: 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, 4 fourths and $471,275

He has won at 1200m, 1300m (2) and 1350m.

Interestingly, Nash has ridden him in 5 starts: 4 wins.

In this event, they ran the 1350m in 1:18.79 with a last 600m in 34.62.

YAO DASH (60.0kgs) ($4.00 2nd fav) defeated Starspangled Rodeo (57.5kgs fav) by 0.4 length with Lina’s Hero (57.0kg) ($7.00) 1.7 lengths away in third spot, ahead of Nudge (56.5kgs) in fourth beaten 1.9 lengths and Zakat (55.5kgs) 2 lengths away in fifth.

YAO DASH has now had 7 starts for this preparation and has earned $305,025.

He has raced twice in Melbourne, before a three race Magic Millions campaign and had five weeks between runs and has raced twice back in Sydney.

Some hard decisions will now be faced as to where he will head next start because Gai and Adrian are adamant that he is profiling like a perfect Doncaster Handicap horse where he has been allotted 50.0kgs.

However, he would need luck to force his way into the field as he is currently well down the pecking-order.

Then we have the added issue of not being able to have Nash in the saddle due to the light weight.

Or do we go a different pathway?

Or do we go for a spell?

It’s out of our hands a bit at present, as we need to force our way into the Doncaster but his trainers are keen to pursue the Gr1 Doncaster and Nash also believes at the weights, he would be very competitive, so we will sit back and watch what unfolds.

Congratulations to our loyal team of DYNAMIC OWNERS that race YAO DASH:

Dynamic Syndications Racing Syndicate, Almighty Racing Pty Ltd Syndicate, Mr J W Sutherland, Ms L Cotter, Mr S J McGee, Mr G J McMahon, Mr P Bray, Mr J T Storey, Champagne Sundays Syndictae, Mr K T Gunn, Mr N W Kim, Mr S M Browne

On another note, it was a Happy Birthday present for co-owner Caleb Ong - Almighty Racing Pty Ltd Syndicate.

There is nothing better than visiting the winners circle on your birthday!

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