Hughes Has a Winning Way with Wandjinas

Hughes has a winning way with Wandjinas

Popular Wulguru trainer Graham Hughes has well and truly been won over by the progeny of understated stallion Wandjina.

Hughes continued his great run of success with cheap buys by the Victorian sire when Lady Rain fought hard for leading jockey Lacey Morrison to win Sunday’s $35,000 Gabrielli Constructions Townsville Amateur Sprint.

“She’s been a good buy. We paid $3000 for her and she’s won five for us now.

“I saw her online. I had old Ashton Blair who was a Wandjina, and Wanna Tweat was a Wandjina and they both won races for us. I don’t mind them.

“I got this mare and she’d just run third at Ipswich and I thought for that money she might be alright.

“It took me a while to work her out, which you have to do with all horses.

“If you can work out what they like you’re half way there.

“It took me 12 months to work out Conquering Judas and he won nine for us and cost a thousand bucks.”

Lady Rain’s win along with the stable’s success in the last with lightly-raced mare Roth ‘N’ Bubbles was a timely return to form for Hughes and his wife Di.

And he’s keen to test the tenacious Lady Rain during next year’s winter carnival and have another crack at the Cleveland Bay Hcp, a race he won with Prince Lonely in 1981.

“I think she’d be a chance in those better sprints because she’s won 1400m, won over 1200m today, and I reckon 1300m will suit her down to the ground,” Hughes said.

“After this she’ll be nearly up there to get a run in some of those races so you’d have to give her a go.

“I’ve started worse horses than her in it (Cleveland Bay). She could get in there with a light weight, she can get up there on the pace and she fights hard.

“Her win and the mare in the last have turned our luck around. We’ve been beaten in a few photos but luck was with us today.”

Morrison was again in sparkling form, landing the second leg of a feature double when Cinque Terre scraped home in the Gabrielli Constructions Townsville Amateurs Cup (1609m).

The Cup win also landed the first leg of  a winning double for Bowen trainer Tom Button who scored later with Head Honcho in the Great Northern Brewing Co QTIS 3YO Hcp (1000m).

“Cinque Terre is an improving mare and she might be going places,” Button said.

“It was a big step up for her today as class 2 horse to take on open class. It’s hard to do.

“She was put under pressure in the straight and I thought she was going to be beaten.

“But she found plenty and it was a good win.

“She’ll probably have one more in a couple of weeks or take her south because she’ll spell down there anyway.

“Honcho had a bit of look at the winning post right at the finish and probably over raced  but he was much more genuine.

“It was a pretty handy field today and it was good to get another win for the owners. He’s a horse with a lot of potential but there a little way to go.

“I think he’s a better chaser and if we can get him to settle a bit better over 1200m I think we’ll see the best of him.

“The worry is he’s starting to get big handicaps and could be handicapped out in  the north.

“I’m not into running horses around with 64kg so we might not have choice but to send him back down south to have a crack at a few QTIS races at the right time.”

The anticipated clash with the Georgie Holt-trained filly Trime To Prophet went out the window early when she missed the start and was boxed up down the straight.

Holt was back in form with wins with beautifully bred Justify gelding Tambo’s Justice and John Joseph.