Randwick return for Japanese-bred Wolfe

Gai Waterhouse will have six Anzac Day runners at Randwick, including odds-on favourite Wolfe.

Unbeaten in his two starts on provincial tracks in NSW during his first racing preparation, Japanese-bred Wolfe will begin his next campaign at Randwick with the aim to boost his rating and experience.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained four-year-old gelding won a Kembla Grange maiden and benchmark 64 at Hawkesbury over 1400m and 1600m last spring and is entered in Thursday’s Battle Of Messines Handicap (1400m).

Wolfe has had three barrier trials ahead of his first-up run and is an early odds-on favourite for the benchmark 70 race, which has a field of eight.

“It’s a nice little kick-off point for him,” Bott said.

“He has done well this campaign. He is probably a bit more dour this time in than what we have seen from him last campaign, so he is going to appreciate getting over a bit further in time this preparation.

“We will only look to give him a relatively light campaign, to try to get his rating up and just give him that experience here.

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“Then hopefully we will see him back in the spring.”

Bott believes there is still upside for Wolfe.

“He’s going to be a nice, talented stayer for us in the making,” he said.

“He’s still just piecing it all together and we are just trying to get him to go through his grades and get his prize money and rating up.”

Wolfe is one of six horses from the stable entered for the eight-race program at Randwick on Anzac Day, while in Melbourne the stable has Transact in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m).

The Kim Waugh-trained last-start Gosford winner White Boots is the early favourite at $3.50 for the Anzac Day Cup at Randwick, a benchmark-88 race over 1800m, ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Girl Tuesday ($3.80) in the field of seven.