Wendt (4-year-old filly, by Exceed and Excel) made her debut with a victory in a maiden race at Grafton Racecourse (1006m, prize money of total AUD 30,000). After breaking evenly with the field, she quickly settled into second position, and upon entering the straight, she took the lead, holding off challenges from behind.

Nori commented, “It was her first race after two barrier trials, so she was calm overall, including at the gates. The horse inside pushed forward, but Wendt settled well when I held her back. Around the 150-meter mark, I thought she might get passed by the second-placed horse, but when they drew level, she showed her fighting spirit and kept running to the finish. She hasn’t fully exerted herself yet, but I’m glad we could get a result in her debut.”

Daiki added, “We hadn’t fully pushed her in training, so in the straight, she was a bit hesitant about shifting into top gear, showing some immaturity. But with the jockeys encouragement today, I believe she will continue to improve from here.”