Bart Sinclair's Preview - Teddy Bears Picnic Family Raceday

 
It’s not often a leg injury to a thoroughbred is a welcome incident for any prospective buyer.

But a leg cut suffered by emerging star Go Wandji as a young horse may have been a deterrent to some bidders when he was offered for sale and allowed Queenslander John Douglas to successfully bid $20,000 in the ring.

Go Wandji is a raging favorite for the Bounty Cup Class 3 over 1400 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday. He looks well placed to take his record to five wins from seven starts.

John and his son Tom, the Toowoomba trainer of the exciting Go Wandji, had seen photos of the colt and he was one of three horses they wanted to inspect at the 2019 Inglis sales in Sydney where he was offered by Byerley Stud from NSW’s famous Hunter Valley.

“His pedigree was solid enough without any world beaters in the family,’’ Tom Dougall explained.

“Dad knew Kelvin Williams from Byerley and he guaranteed the scar from the cut on his leg was not a problem. I wasn’t game to ask if Dad was prepared to go past $20,000. I wouldn’t have thought so. We were going pretty ordinary at the time.

“He is a lovely type. I think the scar must have frightened a few buyers off.’’

The offers have been flooding in since Go Wandji blitzed his opposition over 1350 metres at Doomben a fortnight ago. But Tom Dougall doubts the family will sell the four-year-old.

“There’s been nothing yet to really get us interested. Dad is 75 and he’s getting a big thrill out of the horse. He comes to the stable every day.

“I have three kids under 12 and they’ll be at Eagle Farm on the weekend. It’d be pretty hard to let him go.’’

Go Wandji has developed a bit of history in the barriers although Tom Dougall says the use of a barrier blanket has made him more relaxed in the gates.

“He’s a horse with a beautiful temperament. He was no problem at the gates in his education and his first two starts. Maybe he’s become a bit claustrophobic in the barriers. The blanket appears to have helped him,” Tom said.

Another interesting Eagle Farm runner is Wonderful Riri in the Workforce Success Benchmark 85 Handicap.

At her past three starts before a post winter spell Wonderful Riri impressively won a Doomben Class 6, was runner-up in the Silk Stocking and then a creditable fifth behind Exhilarates in the Helen Coughlan Stakes at Eagle Farm in late May.

Her effort when third to Tuesday’s Eagle Farm winner Kylease in a barrier trial at Doomben on October 26 was encouraging.