Trainer Gai Waterhouse has reported that Wandjina is in ‘Super’ order as he prepares for the Group 1 £525,000 The Diamond Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs) at Royal Ascot in England on Saturday.
Wandjina and Damien Oliver, above, will team up again in The Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. Photo by Sarah Ebbett.
Wandjina had his final gallop on the Al Bahathri track at Newmarket on Thursday morning and Waterhouse said that the colt was ready for his Royal Ascot assignment on the weekend.
“Wandjina has completed his final gallop. The colt cruised around the Al Bahathri and he pulled up super and is ready to take on the best of the best,” Waterhouse informed everyone, writing on her blog.
“I really could not be happier with the colt. He has thrived since arriving in the UK, and like his trainer and connections, Wandjina absolutely loves the quiet and picturesque surrounds of Newmarket.”
Damien Oliver is set to partner up again with Wandjina after riding the colt in two of his last three starts but did throw a scare into the Waterhouse camp when he was involved in a race fall at Bendigo last Thursday.
Fortunately the champion jockey escaped serious injury and was on the plane to England a few days later.
“He (Wandjina) is ready to go, and with Damien Oliver having arrived safe and sound in London, the team are ready to turn all our attention to the 1200m Diamond Jubilee Stakes on Saturday,” Waterhouse wrote on her blog.
Oliver was aboard Wandjina when he led all of the way to win the Group 3 $150,000 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) at Flemington on February 21 but was replaced by Hong Kong based Brett Prebble after being suspended for careless riding and missed the winning ride in the Group 1 $500,000 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 7.
But Oliver was back with Wandjina when the pair ran the Peter Moody trained multiple Group 1 winner Dissident to a head when second in the Group 1 $400,000 Schweppes All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on April 18.
Wandjina has drawn barrier ten in the final field of fifteen for The Diamond Jubilee Stakes and has been listed as a 10-1 chance with Ladbrokes in England.
The Chris Waller trainer Brazen Beau, who drew the outside gate, heads the betting at 9-4 ahead of Dermot Weld’s well performed sprinter Mustajeeb (barrier 4) at 9-2 and the Aidan O’Brien trained Due Diligence (barrier 12) at 8-1 while Tropics and Undrafted share the 10-1 line with Wandjina.
