Winning Start to Season for Wandjina

Tara Madgwick - Saturday August 3
Newgate Farm's Wandjina made a winning start to the new season with a debut winner on Friday from the powerful Lindsay Park racing team in Grand Diamond.

WandjinaThe three year-old filly travelled smoothly in fourth place and then surged to the line to win the 1200 metre maiden at Ballarat by a length and a quarter.

A $20,000 purchase from the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale from the Watson Bloodstock draft, Grand Diamond is the first winner for Grand Excess, a half-sister by Exceed and Excel to Group III winner Stand Tall and stakes-winner Seul Amour.

Grand Excess is from Champion 3YO Filly Grand Archway, who won both the VRC Oaks and Australian Oaks among her four Group I victories, so Grand Diamond may well appreciate a little further than the 1200 metres of this win.

Grand Diamond is the first winner of the new season for Wandjina, but is also his ninth first crop winner.

A Group I winning son of Snitzel, Wandjina excelled as a three year-old over a mile, placing in the Caulfield Guineas in the spring and then winning the Group I VRC Australian Guineas in the autumn, so we can expect to see his progeny come into their own over the next 12 months.

He stands this spring at a fee of $22,000.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch - Randwick
There were three heats for juveniles at the Randwick trials on Tuesday morning and while the Ciaron Maher trained Magic Millions contender Unit Five was a scratching there were still some interesting winners including the half-brother to Tempted and a million dollar filly by Home Affairs.
New Year Brings New Challenges in NZB Filly of the Year Series
With the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) moving five weeks earlier to February this year, summer races over 2000 metres have taken on greater importance in the NZB Filly of the Year Series – starting with the $270,000 Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
The Family You Want a Part Of
A foal that was in the running for Breednet Favourite Foal of 2009 and is the one and only horse in Australia by infamous Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem has spawned a family that is becoming commercial gold.
G1 Target for I Am Invincible Stallion
Stephen Marsh can make a strong case for each of his top-flight contenders at Trentham on Saturday.
Wandjina Colt Confirms Spring Potential
The Group II VRC Danehill Stakes at Flemington on Saturday produced some fine performances for several classy three year-olds including Wandjina colt Express Pass, who charged home for third to Dalasan and Dubious.
Espionage Set for Kiwi Debut
Te Akau Racing will be tackling plenty of feature targets over the coming days, but one of their more interesting runners will appear on the undercard at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Two Out of Two for Wandjina Filly
Two wins in as many starts has made the Kris Lees trained Wandjina filly Wandabaa a popular girl with her large group of owners put together by Australian Bloodstock.
Eighth Winner for Wandjina
The Anthony Cummings-trained, Wandjina filly, Satin Rain has been on an upward trajectory since making her debut at Warwick farm back on June 12.
Zou Sensation Cracks $1million on New Years Eve
Australia’s reigning champion sire Zoustar is renowned for the racetrack exploits of his progeny and also the high prices they command in the sale ring, but not all of them are expensive and Bennett Racing found value when they bid just $150,000 to secure one of his colts from Widden Stud at Magic Millions in 2021.
Metro Double for Wandjina
It’s been a good day at the office for Newgate Farm’s Wandjina, who posted a quinella in the opening race at the twilight meeting at Randwick on Friday and then added another winner at Moonee Valley in the evening.