Tom Dougall playing it cautious with Go Wandji

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Tom Dougall will continue to keep boom sprinter Go Wandji progressing slowly for the foreseeable future if the gelding continues his winning streak at Doomben on Saturday.

Go Wandji is chasing his fourth successive win and his seventh win from only nine starts in the 0-75 Handicap over 1350 metres.

However, Dougall has all but ruled out a shot at the major races during this year’s TAB Queensland Racing Carnival with Go Wandji.

“The carnival is coming up a bit too quick for him and realistically he’ll just run in races that suit him,” he said.

“I don’t want to throw him into the deep end too soon in the bigger sprints this year.

“But if he’s still around next winter might be his go.

“I’m happy just to poke along in the races that suit him this year.”

Dougall hold no fears about a step up in distance to 1350 metres but does hold some concern with Go Wandji second-up.

“This distance is more his go but he is second up so he could be a bit vulnerable,” he said.

The four-year-old dead-heated with Winside in a finish which shocked many observers in his racing return over 1100 metres at Toowoomba on March 5.

The meeting was originally to be staged at Doomben but was transferred to his home track after torrential rain made Doomben unraceable during the big wet earlier this month.

Jockey Larry Cassidy was as surprised as anyone on track and requested to view the winning photo in the stewards’ room after Go Wandji dead-heated for first.

Dougall conceded he too was unsure if Go Wandji had won.

“We watched the race a long way past the winning post and I had no idea if he had won,” Dougall said.

Dougall wasn’t disappointed with sharing the honours with the Corey and Kylie Geran trained-Winside in his first outing since winning at Eagle Farm on November 6.

“It was a very good run considering 1100 metres is right at the bottom of his distance range,” he said.

The four-year-old son of Wandji who was bought by Dougall’s father, John, for only $20,000 at the Scone Inglis sale in 2019.

The Dougall’s fielded several offers to buy Go Wandji late last year but are content to race him themselves unless big offer is received.