News

Oliver's loss is Prebble's Gai-n as Wandjina scores in Guineas

8th Mar 2015

Sydney Morning Herald - Michael Lynch - Sunday, 8 March 2014

Expatriate Australian Brett Prebble and South African superstar Douglas Whyte have probably lost count of the number of tight finishes they have fought out in Hong Kong, where they have both been at the top of the tree for more than a decade.

Whyte has normally come out on top - at least in overall winners, as he headed the jockeys table for 13 consecutive seasons, often taking the premiership ahead of Prebble.

But the boot was on the other foot at Flemington in the $500,000 group 1 Australian Guineas when Prebble, flown in by Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse to ride Wandjina ($8) after Damien Oliver lost his appeal against a suspension, took the honours, scoring narrowly from the Whyte-partnered Alpine Eagle ($4.80), with Stratum Star ($8) a close up third under Brad Rawiller.

It was a classic clash of different racing patterns.

Wandjina bounced out of the gates and made the running with Prebble dictating the tempo on the Waterhouse dasher, who did something very similar at Flemington two weeks ago when he won the C.S. Hayes Stakes over 1400 metres.

Alpine Eagle and Whyte - recruited by the colt's trainer Tony McEvoy early in the week after the belated decision to run him - settled down in the back half of the field and was still some way off in seventh spot at the 400.

Prebble stole a march as the field reached the closing stages, defying the chasers to run him down.

They got close: the winning margin was a half-neck and a long-neck between the first three, with the fast-finishing favourite Kermadec ($3.80) only three-quarters of a length away in fourth under another Hong Kong-based Australian, Nash Rawiller.

But the son of Snitzel, one of the most experienced horses in the field at his 12th start, knew too much for the callow Alpine Eagle, who, as expected, was doing all his best work at the end of the 1600 metres.

Wandjina's win and place percentages going into this group 1 test were distinctly unimpressive. He had won only twice in 11 starts and run a place only once.

But that tended to hide the fact that for the most part he had competed at the highest level - even if he hadn't always been that fancied. His sole placing was a third in the Caulfield Guineas last October when he had started at $101.

Waterhouse has never been scared to have a shy at the stumps, and Wandjina's next assignment was the Cox Plate, where he was beaten less than four lengths by Adelaide. But given that background it was hardly surprising that when he got back among his own age group, a tough, seasoned warrior, he would prove hard to beat.

Adrian Bott, Waterhouse's racing manager, paid tribute to Prebble's ride on a winner that crowned a fabulous day for the yard that had earned group 1 honours in Sydney with the mare Cosmic Endeavour and taken out the two feature races for juveniles with Golden Slipper favourite Vancouver and promising filly English.

"The horse looked very comfortable out there in front. He really got into his rhythm, he showed great gate speed and gave a nice kick into the straight and was very hard to run down from there.

"We have the Rosehill Guineas in two weeks. Whether the 2000 metres will be suitable or whether he is best kept for the mile (1600 metres), taking on the older horses at weight for age [remains to be decided]. He has really put it together, he has always shown the ability and that's why he has always been targeted at these types of races."

Prebble, who won his first group 1 for Waterhouse, revealed that Oliver had given him sound advice on how best to ride Wandjina.

"He gave me a great insight into him. His bad luck was my gain, but he's won these races before, this is my first time. He's a proper horse, I would love to have him in Hong Kong. It was a hard fight to the line. Both [the winner and runner up] are top horses and are going places."