Siliqua to give his trainer a boost

Siliqua gets can make a mockery of his 1200m-race statistics and put a some extra pep into the step of his trainer Brian Wakefield at the Sunshine Coast.

Wakefield, who is one of Queensland best small-team trainers, had hip surgery last week but is up and about with the aid of crutches.

“I am OK and just need to do my rehabilitation exercises,” Wakefield said.

Wakefield has had many classy city winners but has always felt Siliqua, one of the few grey horses produced by former top Queensland sire Sequalo, could have been up with his best.

But Siliqua’s racing style of getting back and rattling home has gone against him with the big Eagle Farm track closed for much of his career.

“Three of his five wins have been on the big track at the Sunshine Coast but he has only ever been to Eagle Farm once and he finished a good third,” Wakefield.

Siliqua has had nine attempts at 1200m and run just two seconds.

But Wakefield is confident he can improve on that in the Benchmark 75 on Saturday.

“He has run three fourths and a fifth as well as those seconds at 1200 metres and every time he was flashing home and finished not far away,” he said.

“He just needs the right pace and some luck in the straight.”