Much anticipation surrounded the return of our promising 4YO Bandi’s Boy when he tackled the 1200m 3YO+ C,G&E BM78 at Randwick and commenced what is hoped to be his ‘coming-of-age’ preparation after ten week let-up.
“We thought he was capable of running a good race, but we didn’t think the horse was quite there on his trackwork.”
Surprising many, including his trainer, the 4YO Kooringal Stud The Brother’s War gelding, stalked the speed first-up and was able to cinch the victory fighting hard back on the inside for his rider Jay Ford at a quote of 10/1 and better some more fancied runners who were hard in the market.
The win, coming off the back of only one conservative trial at Moruya a week earlier, marked Bandi’s Boy’s third win in only seven starts, showcasing his development over the break and his potential for success in higher-profile races.
The chief of which will be April’s $1,000,000 2024 Country Championships Final over 1400m at Randwick- a course where the gelding has excelled with three wins and a third from six occasions.
To get there he will need to audition well and qualify through the South Eastern District Qualifying race at Moruya in early March and the stable remains optimistic about his chances of a top effort there, with a bridging run in between.
This unexpected win was also a delight for breeder and owner John Woods, whose journey with this horse has been a patient one following some earlier injury setbacks.
“He’s obviously only a lightly raced horse, and up until yesterday, he was only a Class Two horse, and we thought if we could get one win out of three going into the Country Champs, that would be great.
Congratulations to Mr. Woods on another remarkable win and best of luck for the races ahead with his talented gelding!
Photo Credit – Bradley Photos