News

Oliver Happy With Wandjina

1st Jun 2015

Breeding and Racing - Tuesday, 2 June 2015

Champion jockey Damien Oliver is confident that Wandjina will acquit himself well at Royal Ascot after partnering the Gai Waterhouse-trained colt in his final domestic work-out at Flemington on Friday.

Speaking on RSN radio yesterday, Oliver said the Australian Guineas winner gave him a good feel in the trial against fellow Royal Ascot hopeful Brazen Beau and that he was on course for a bold showing in his target race, the Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on 20 June.

"1400 metres to a mile seems to be his best distance but Gai's kept him pretty fit. He's had the two trials now, one in Sydney and one down the straight the other day," Oliver said.

"I was really pleased with the way he finished off his trial on Friday. The other horse, Brazen Beau, seemed a little sharper than him...but he [Wandjina] was really good through the line. And getting to Ascot where the 1200m is quite up hill, it's going to be more like a 1400m race anyway so you need a strong horse that's going to finish off strongly."

He added: "He's a very tractable horse, and he's got a great constitution so it's very helpful to have a horse like that when you travel so far." Wandjina and Brazen Beau are scheduled to fly out for the UK tomorrow with the Robert Smerdon-trained Shamal Wind.