After delivering an extraordinary ride aboard Unspun, a two-year-old American-bred dark bay/brown colt, to a short-head victory in the $2-million Dye Job Sprint on Saturday, December 28, 2024, former champion jockey Christopher Mamdeen was beaming with pleasure in the winners’ enclosure.

Unspun (Spun to Run – U Needa Ride) came from behind runners to nip favourite
Rideallday (Raddesh Roman) on the wire in the Restricted Stakes contest for native-bred and imported two-year-olds over 6 furlongs (1,200m). Unspun won in a time of 1:13.0.
Unruly Mo (Robert Halledeen) placed third.

The win marked Unspun’s third consecutive triumph, and Mamdeen was quick to praise the horse’s exceptional understanding and trainer Donovan Hutchinson’s expert guidance.

He revealed that his partnership with Hutchinson has been a key factor in his recent success.

“As you can see, since I came back from Canada, trainer [Donovan] Hutchinson and I have been working as a team,” Mamdeen said.

He added:” The trainer just wished me luck and told me to go and enjoy myself with him.”

Mamdeen’s confidence in Unspun’s abilities was solidified from the five-furlong marker, where he observed Unruly Mo pressuring Runallday for the lead.

Recognising the opportunity, Mamdeen decided his race tactics.

“I was confident in Unspun’s chances when I saw Unruly Mo pressuring Rideallday. If he [
Rideallday] had an uncontested lead, I would have to work hard to catch him but the pressure made it easier for me.

“I decided to tackle Rideallday at the three-furlong marker to see what he was made of. The more I asked my horse, the more he responded and so I knew we had it,” Mamdeem explained.

Mamdeen’s tactical decision paid off, as Unspun surged forward to claim victory by a short head. The jockey’s faith in his mount was evident throughout the race, and he acknowledged, “I was confident the entire race.”