Injury plagued Wealth Princess and jockey Michael Walker will be reunited in the  Group 2 $200,000 Patinack Farm Dane Ripper Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2.

Wealth Princess

Wealth Princess and jockey Michael Walker will team up again in the Dane Ripper - photo © Daniel Costello

Even though Walker’s appeal against a careless riding suspension he incurred at Echuca on May 15 was dismissed, he will be able to resume riding on May 30, leaving him free to ride the following weekend.

Walker gave Wealth Princess a perfect run before skipping clear in the straight to take out her second Group 3 $150,000 Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) (F&M) at Doomben last Saturday while riding on a stay of proceedings.

Wealth Princess also won the Glenlogan Park in 2010 and Saturday’s win was only her second run back for almost two years after suffering a serious tendon injury after her Winter Carnival campaign that year.

Warrnambool trainer Darren Weir has nursed the six year old mare back to good health and will use the Dane Ripper as her final lead up to the Group 1 $1m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 9.

Weir is hoping that Wealth Princess’s recovery will see her through the Winter Carnival and showed on Saturday that she back as good as ever.

“You always wonder if horses with a serious tendon injury can come back to racing let alone come back and reach their top again,” Weir said.

Top jockey Nash Rawiller and Peter Mertens have both lodged appeals against careless rising suspensions they were handed at Doomben on Saturday.

Rawiller was sent out for ten meetings for an incident at the turn out of the straight the first time on eventual winner Mawingo in the Group 1 $500,000 Kirks Doomben Cup (2000m) when race favourite Manighar had to be checked.

“I have appealed Queensland stewards decision to suspend me on the weekend! I truly believe I shouldn’t have a case to answer,” Rawiller said on Twitter.

Even if his appeal is dismissed, Rawiller will be able to ride on Stradbroke day.

And Mertens is in danger of loosing the ride on Invest in the Group 1 $400,000 Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 2 if his appeal is dismissed after winning on the Clarry Conners trained filly in the Group 3 $175,000 Hidden Dragon The Roses (2000m).

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.