Trainer Danny Williams and jockey William Pike have combined to take out the first race at Randwick with Bandi’s Boy.
It was shades of Nash Rawiller on Think It Over when William Pike ‘s mount Bandi’s Boy drifted towards the outside fence in the opening race at Randwick, but it was horse, not rider, dictating the route.
While Rawiller’s daring navigation won him the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Pike feared Bandi’s Boy’s waywardness might have cost him Saturday’s Schweppes Handicap (1100m).
“I didn’t try to steer him. Initially, he wanted to drift out there, so I let him,” Pike said.
“I was just trying to keep him happy but the second half (of the straight), he spotted something and veered out and we were lucky to win the race.
“He’s got some spare ability there so hopefully we can harness him.”
Williams was in Melbourne to watch cult hero Shelby Sixtysix go around at Caulfield but said he rated Bandi’s Boy highly and had expected him to run a race on debut in the Kindergarten Stakes when he endured a tough run and finished fifth.
He believes the youngster is open to vast improvement.
“When he works on his own he tends to starzage, but he’s a real tradesman and needs something to run down,” Williams said.
“I was bullish about his chances going into the Kindergarten. If he drew a gate that day, he would have run a place.
“He will go to the paddock now because I think he is a very nice horse and I don’t want to overdo him this preparation.”
Bandi’s Boy ($9) had a length to spare over Zougotcha ($2.80 fav) with leader Command Approved ($5.50) holding on for third another two lengths in arrears.
Charlie Duckworth, representing Zougotcha’s trainer Chris Waller, felt the filly was stretched by the testing heavy 10 conditions but tried hard.
“She was bold in defeat and will live to fight another day, hopefully on a drier surface,” Duckworth said.
