At Witz End proves bold

By Glenn Davis

A risky $10,000 investment in an ageing gelding named At Witz End has proven the old saying that fortune favours the brave.

At Witz End was an eight-year-old gelding who had not won for two-and-a-half years when Lismore trainer Daniel Bowen took a huge gamble to buy him at an online auction.

At Witz End has since won four times for Bowen, returning more than $313,000 in prize money including two Stakes races during the Queensland Racing Carnival.

But wait, there’s more.

Bowen is now hoping the nine-year-old veteran can gain a slot for the world’s richest race for country-trained horses in the $2 million The Kosciuszko at Randwick in October.

Bowen, 39, took over the stables of his late father Danny Bowen when he died 10 years ago and bought At Witz End after a tip-off from a close friend.

“He was an eight-year-old and hadn’t won for two-and-a-half years when I bought him,” Bowen said.

“He was trained just behind our stable by Owen Glue, who had to move to Ballina following the floods here at the time

“A friend of mine, who was working for me as a stable hand, had a minor share in At Witz End and told me he was up for sale and asked me if I was keen to take him on.

“It was a risk with his advanced age, but I thought there was still something left in him.

“You couldn’t imagine at that time he would scale the heights he has.”

Bowen said At Witz End had been a revelation since he entered the stable.

“He’s certainly been a revelation as I’ve only had him for a few starts,” he said.

“I always thought when we bought him, we could perhaps get him back to town level.

“But to get him to these heights has been pretty special and he just keeps raising the bar.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him.”

At Witz End had his first start for Bowen in a Benchmark race at the Gold Coast in March when he finished fourth, more than four lengths away.

“He drew bad that day and it was only 1100m and he was never on the track,” Bowen said.

“Danny Peisley rode him and when he got off, he told me he’d win a Listed race.

“It was a big statement and as I had hoped to win a race in the city, I took him to Grafton for his next run thinking he’d have to win easy to go to Brisbane - and he bolted in.”

Bowen then targeted a race at Doomben over 1200m in early April in which At Witz End chalked up win number two for the stable.

“I didn’t want to aim too high and get ahead of myself so I ran him at Doomben, but Danny (Peisley) couldn’t ride him, so I put Sam Collett on,” Bowen said.

“He bloused them for Sam that day at Doomben and then he ran second to Arentee when he stepped up in distance to 1350m for the first time.

“He led early but Arentee was allowed to cross him, and we couldn’t run him down.”

Bowen then gave At Witz End his chance at Listel level on a track rated a heavy 10.

“He had never won on a heavy track in his life before the ATC Cup and he beat Yellow Brick and Freedom Rally, but he never got the credit he deserved because everyone said it was only because it was a heavy track,” he said.

“However, Yellow Brick and Freedom Rally later came out and franked the form.”

With The Kosciuszko still in his thoughts, Bowen had several options to consider for At Witz End for his next start such as the Chief De Beers, The Hinkler and Ramornie Handicaps.

“I wanted to go for one of those races, so he’d be noticed for The Kosciuszko,” Bowen said.

“He drew bad in the Chief De Beers and never had a chance, but he flew home for third.

The Moreton Cup was his next target, but Bowen feared it may have been the wrong race for him.

“He had a shocking draw and was never a hope as the early sectionals set it up for the winner Vilana,” Bowen said.

“I was pretty dirty on myself for running him, so to get back on track we decided to go for the Eye Liner next.”

Things didn’t go to plan early on for Bowen before the Listed Eye Liner as Collett was involved in a fall on Ipswich Cup day and was stood down for the remainder of the meeting.

“We managed to get Cejay Graham and it was an easy decision to grab her as I’m good mates with her partner, Kirk Matheson,” he said.

Bowen also revealed he owed Graham the ride after a big night out following the Moreton Cup.

“I stayed with Kirk and Cejay for the Moreton Cup weekend, and I went to the pub one night for a few drinks,” he said.

“We went to The Hamo then the Brekky Creek and had quite a few drinks, which didn’t end up well, and Cejay had to come and pick us up from the pub, so I owed her for that.”

The Eye Liner victory was a day of mixed emotions for Bowen.

“It was a real rollercoaster day and an emotional one for me,” he said.

“It [the 10^th anniversary] was only a few days earlier since Dad passed away 10 years ago.

“Dad gave me a pretty good grounding with older horses, and he could find what a horse’s strengths were and try to ease their weaknesses.

“My initial thoughts were to improve him enough just to win another race in town.

“But once he won in town, I thought we might have a Kosciuszko horse.

“But after he won the race at Caloundra when he beat some handy horses like Yellow Brick and Freedom Rally, he just kept raising the bar.”

Bowen ended At Witz End's winter campaign in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at the Sunshine Coast in mid July, where he finished second, ahead of a shot at The Kosciuszko.

While At Witz End is in the twilight of his career, Bowen hopes there are few more wins in the bank before he begins another journey to find another bargain buy.