Late bloomer Inuwashi gets another chance to impress at Canterbury

It’s taken some time for lightly raced five-year-old Inuwashi to work the racing game out but the Chris Waller-trained gelding looks poised to repeat his last-start Canterbury win when he steps out at the same track on Wednesday.

The gelding, who stands at close to 17 hands, shoots for back-to-back wins in the Irish Yearling Sales Handicap (1900m) after a three-length demolition over the same course two weeks ago.

The victory sees Inuwashi rise 3kg but as jockey William Pike said on Sky Thoroughbred Central after that win, it wasn’t Plan A but it showed he’s capable of adapting when he has to chase a field down.

“I was meant to be a little handier but I didn’t get away that cleanly from the barriers,” Pike said.

“He did a good job, he ran over them and ran through the line really well.”

Inuwashi has struck a race that looks to be similarly run on paper with a couple of noted on pacers engaged who like to run along but Pike’s comments suggest he won’t be afraid to settle the horse that little bit closer if he breaks cleanly.

It’ll be the horse’s ninth race start and Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said after that last win that Inuwashi is really only now starting to work things out and suggested he’ll come into his own as the distances increase.

“He stays very well, he was a little further back than what we anticipated but I don’t think there was ever a moment of doubt,” Duckworth said.

“I think he will only improve as he gets up over slightly further, obviously he can get through the conditions. He’s an older gelding now but he is lightly raced and I think there is upside with him.”