WAPITI THE HOME-TOWN HOPE IN THE A. D. HOLLINDALE

By Graham Potter | Thursday, May 9, 2024

Trainer Jack Duncan will send his old warhorse Wapiti out for the fourth successive Saturday meeting with the seven-year-old to take his place in the A.D. Hollindale, a Group 2 contest over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast.

The previous three weeks results brought two wins and one fourth placing for Wapiti, results which underline the current well being of the son of Love Conquers all, but being in-form was not the only criteria on which Duncan based his decision to stretch Wapiti’s campaign out for one more week.

“We’ve been waiting all these years for wet tracks, so we might as well give him a go on the wet track,” explained Duncan.

In fact, with the Sunshine Coast track currently rated a heavy 10 with not too much relief in sight, while some trainers might be watching the dark sky in trepidation, Duncan is embracing the moment and sensing an opportunity for Wapiti who has two wins to his credit in his four starts on heavy going.

“We don’t do much with him ... a couple of swims and a canter around ... that’s all he does for the week and then bounces back up. So he’ll be ready on Saturday.

“They are better than him those other horses,” said Duncan referring to the Hollindale field in which Wapiti is not only the only ‘home-town’ entry representing the Sunshine Coast, but is, in fact, the only Queensland based runner in the fourteen-strong field.

Duncan is taking on several of the country’s leading stables and they come, not only with some quality horses, but with the numbers on their side to aid their cause.

Annabel Neasham sends out four runners. The training partnerships of Waterhouse and Bott, and Peter and Paul Snowden will saddle two Hollindale starters apiece while Chris Waller, Ciaron Maher, Michael Kent, Kris Lees and Gavin Bedggood each have one runner in the race.

That is quite an intimidating Southern states strike-force, but Duncan isn’t fazed.

“Like I said, they’re better, but on a heavy track ... who knows,” shrugged Duncan.

“We are happy to have a crack.”

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