Kendrick hopeful Tojaki can maintain unbeaten stable record

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Stuart Kendrick is hopeful bargain buy Tojaki can maintain her unblemished record since arriving in Queensland by completing a hat-trick of wins at Doomben on Wednesday.

Tojaki was previously trained in Victoria by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace before being sold for $35,000 at an Inglis online auction and moved on to Kendrick at the Sunshine Coast.

The four-year-old daughter of Zoustar has won her only two starts for Kendrick.

She claimed her maiden over 1200 metres at the Sunshine Coast on October 1 before an all-the-way win in a 1400 metre Benchmark race on the same track 12 days later.

Kendrick has elected to run her in the Benchmark 65 Handicap over 1350 metres on Wednesday. 

“She won her first start very well at the Sunshine Coast then came off a wide gate and sprinted quickly to win again last start,” Kendrick said.

“She’s a nice mare who was very impressive both times and hopefully she can keep going.

“Since we bought her she’s filled out nicely and is a big mare and the biggest in the stable.”

Kendrick believes tackling a city midweek race for the first time for the stable will give him a good guide to her future summer prospects.

“She’s up to midweek grade at this stage and this is a good stepping stone to see if she can progress further to Saturday class and possibly something better during the summer,” Kendrick said.

Tojaki also was nominated for Eagle Farm on Saturday along with stable mate Bonded Affair.

Bonded Affair is an unlikely starter in the Class 1 Handicap over 1640 metres on Wednesday. 

Bonded Affair also was a cheap buy for $10,000 at an Inglis online auction and is coming off an easy three length win in a 1350 metre maiden at Ipswich on October 18.

“We bought Bonded Affair as an unraced horse about 18 months ago and he’s also showing us a lot of promise,” Kendrick said.

“I’ll make a decision later whether he runs at Doomben but at this stage I favour taking him to Eagle Farm on Saturday.

“It’s a three-year-old race and I’d prefer to keep him against his own age.

“He’s a nice horse who won well last start but it was only a maiden.

“If he does start on Wednesday, both are in their right races but it’s not easy any more to win at the midweek's.”