Wag Tail may not be going over her ideal distance at Albion Park on Thursday but every time she races is a bonus for her connections.
The solid stayer, who finished third in last month’s National Distance Championships in Perth and has a decent 18 wins from 50 starts, drops down in distance and goes from box six in the brisgreys.com Stakes (520m).
She has enjoyed a decent 2014 and recovered impressively after being sidelined for four months late last year with a mystery virus.
Owner Tony Apap, father of trainer Christina Harman, said it had been a nightmare period for the family.
“We thought for a long time her racing was finished,” he said. “The vet said he had never seen blood counts like it.
“It was like acidosis, but not. We couldn’t work it out.
“Three or four of our dogs came down with it and we spent a fortune trying to discover the problem, but we never found it.
“Every race is a bonus now after going through that.”
Wag Tail has certainly returned impressively, chalking up ten wins in 2014.
Her notable year includes winning the $10,000 Ipswich Winter Cup (732m) in a record time and securing the Queensland National Distance crown.
She is not keen on travelling so has only come to Wentworth Park twice and Apap said he was not planning any further trips south in the near future.
Wag Tail faces a tough task in Thursday’s race, with the opposition including last year’s Lismore Cup winner Regal Lauryn (box three).
“It’s a hard field,” Apap said. “If she was on the inside, I would be more confident.
“We are not going to give her many more starts (but) she has been a solid campaigner for us.
“Hopefully we can build her up to 700m again and then we’ll play it by ear as far as races go.”
Other notables at Albion Park include Tony Brett’s gun chaser Flash Reality, who finished third in the recent Sportingbet Megastar at Dapto.
He faces recent Group 2 Black Top finalist and Northern Rivers hopeful Miner’s Moss in race eight.
Peter Young, who trained Iva Vision to success in last week’s Group 3 Schweppes SA Derby, has handy Visualize It going in the second race.
Ten races are on the card and action starts at 6.43pm.
For Albion Park Thursday fields, form and expert tips, click here.
