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Wondai’s Mate making comeback

NZPA-AAP Brisbane

A peanut fanner, Merv Reinke, has dropped the kid-glove treatment with his forgotten champion pacer, Wondai’s Mate, in his race against time to make the million-dollar Golden Jubilee InterDominion series to be run at Brisbane in April. Reinke reluctantly retired Wondai’s Mate last September after the horse was almost crippled by a recurring leg Injury during the John Player Special Series at Albion Park.

However, while Reinke was adamant the champion was "finished” and had "no hope of making a comeback,” the chunky seven-year-old seemed to

have other ideas. Wondai’s Mate has shown remarkable improvement since being treated by Graham Tabe on the Gold Coast just before Christmas. Tabe’s treatment involved packing Wondai’s Mate’s injured offside hind leg in a secret compound twice daily to reduce inflammation and swelling in the joint.

The horse has now completed the six-week course and Reinke is amazed with the results.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Reinke, after supervising another of his workout sessions yesterday. “Those who saw him some months ago can’t believe the improvement,” he said.

“I’m working him hard now but if he can’t get to Albion Park next month, we might as well forget about the InterDominion.”

Reinke, a fan of the Miracle Mile winner, Village Kid, gives Wondai’s Mate a slightly better than even money chance of succeeding in his comeback bid. Wondai’s Mate won two heats of the 1983 InterDominion in Auckland and retired with 61 wins and 20 placings from 91 starts, including an Australian mile record of Imin 55.7 s recorded in 1983.

The appearance of Wondai’s Mate at Albion Park during the Golden

Jubilee Inter-Dominion would be a marvellous bonus for organisers and an even bigger thrill for trotting fans who rated the Wondai wonder the best pacer out of Queensland for many years.

Nominations close next Tuesday for the Brisbane Inter-Dominion with Albion Park officials confident of keen inter-state and New Zealand representation.

Village Kid’s brilliant Miracle Mile win has earned him pre-race favouritism in view of the retirement of his former rival, Preux Chevalier, but New Zealander Roydon Glen crosses the Tasman with a huge reputation to defend.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19860130.2.106.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Press, 30 January 1986, Page 26

Word count
Tapeke kupu
361

Wondai’s Mate making comeback Press, 30 January 1986, Page 26

Wondai’s Mate making comeback Press, 30 January 1986, Page 26

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