BEC DUNN: INFERENCIA IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF

She’s my unicorn!

So said Bec Dunn of her first Saturday Sydney winner Inferencia, who produced a stunning barrier to box victory at Rosehill Gardens yesterday in the Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m).

Let loose from her outside barrier by rider Jason Collett, the five-year-old mare led by many lengths at one stage before hanging on gamely to lead home an all-outsiders’ finish.

Starting at $21, Inferencia defeated Hawkesbury trainer Ed O’Rourke’s $61 roughie Twin Turbo, with $41 chance Highborn Harry third.

“Inferencia is what dreams are made of,” the Newcastle trainer said today. “That’s why I call her my unicorn.

“I’ve had only a few Saturday runners in town (her first was two-year-old outsider Keep On Charging in the 2016 Golden Gift at the same track), and that was the most amazing experience of my life.

“She’s a homebred, and I’ve been with her every day of her life.”

Dunn wasn’t the least concerned when Inferencia at first drew barrier 19, and still jumped from the outside (14).

“I was never going to scratch her because she likes to roll along and doesn’t like being in amongst other horses,” she said. “She is a free spirit.

“I might have scratched her had she drawn the rails.”

Inferencia made it two wins on end (Collett also partnered her in a Midway Benchmark 64 Handicap, 1500m at her home track on March 7 to take her record to take her record to six wins and seven placings.

Dunn, an excellent horsewoman whom Newcastle Jockey Club sponsored at last year’s RacingNSW Equimillions in Sydney, was understandably emotion charged in the enclosure after the mare’s triumph.

She bred Inferencia from her mare Forever Ranga, with whom she won two races from only a handful of starts.

“I was at a property at Beresfield at the time, and I was horrified when Forever Ranga arrived.

“She was emaciated, she had lice all over her and I had a barney with her owner for bringing her to me in such poor condition.

“But I was determined to get her going.

“She hadn’t raced and I found out from her previous trainer that she fractured a knee early on, and that’s why her first preparation with me wasn’t too flash.”

Dunn, who has three horses in work and lives with her partner Luke Moy at Williamtown just outside Newcastle, bred Inferencia by mating Forever Ranga with Randwick Guineas winner Inference.

She has since bred a three-year-old full brother Ammirati, who so far hasn’t raced and has just recovered from a bout of pneumonia, and the mare is now in foal to Acrobat.

Dunn is contemplating a Queensland trip with Inferencia after perhaps a short break, and may run her first city winner, the now nine-year-old On Her Word, at Gosford on Friday.

She was thrilled with On Her Word’s first-up performance at Tamworth on March 9 at her first start in three and a half years, during which time she gave birth to two foals.

“I was pleased to have Aaron Bullock on On Her Word, and he said she felt as sound as she did when he rode her early in her career.”

Leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was totally out of luck in the $5m Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill when his previously unbeaten colt Rivellino ($7.50) was slowly away before finishing an outstanding fourth.

However, there was some joy later in the day when Imposant (Andrew Gibbons) gave him a second Provincial-Midway Championships Finalist when she took the sixth heat at Kembla Grange.

Lees had four acceptors in the Newcastle Qualifier (1400m) last Thursday – won by Wyong trainer Sara Ryan’s now $4.50 Final favorite Matcha Latte – but chose to scratch Imposant even though she had the inside barrier.

His decision paid off when $21 chance Imposant finished gamely to defeat Kembla Grange trainer Joe Ible’s $31 outsider Vintage Choice; the pair becoming the 11th and 12th horses to make the $1m Final (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 12.

Lees had already qualified Lord Of Biscay, and hopes to have a couple of runners in Saturday’s Wild Card (1350m) at Wyong, where all three placegetters go into the Final.

Story John Curtis, March 23, 2025 - Pics Bradley Photos