{"id":372619,"date":"2026-05-29T13:49:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T03:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=372619"},"modified":"2026-05-29T17:13:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T07:13:20","slug":"wondais-race-day-is-absorbing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2026\/05\/29\/wondais-race-day-is-absorbing\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondai’s Race Day Is Absorbing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wayne O’Connell hopes to display his trademark “W For Win” at Wondai again on Saturday (Photo: Ross Stanley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Gunsynd's<\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s line up at the South Burnett Race Club\u2019s meeting at Wondai is full of interest.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a clash of the generations with both apprentice Jess Emmerson and the veteran rider Wayne O\u2019Connell aiming to continue on their winning ways.<\/p>\n

The former prevailed on Above The World, Extra Hands and Milton Road at the recent Burrandowan fixture while the latter, who is also a licensed trainer, claimed a double at Wondai on Anzac Day with She\u2019s A Revelation and Extra Hands<\/p>\n

Emmerson kicked off her career in fine style at Texas on December 13 last year.<\/p>\n

She saluted on her first mount, the hot favourite Pull The Catch, saddled up by her then-Toowoomba master Lindsay Hatch.<\/p>\n

She made it two from two with Ready And Mabel in the next before a triumph in the Texas Cup on Hatch\u2019s entry, Milton Road.<\/p>\n

Lindsay now manages Tony Gollan\u2019s Gold Coast branch and Emmerson\u2019s indentures were transferred to the Toowoomba horseman, John Dann.<\/p>\n

Her Wondai engagements are Ablett, Goose Step and Bodyswerve.<\/p>\n

Jess produced another remarkable performance when she collected quadrellas at Mount Isa on consecutive Saturdays in March.<\/p>\n

She also booted home Milton Road, now in the hands of Steven Hardy at Warwick, in the Battle of the Bush Qualifier at Nanango last weekend.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The grey bears the location of a famous brewery that is near Brisbane\u2019s Suncorp Stadium. There was an oblique omen tip in the fact that XXXX was the sponsor of last Saturday\u2019s Doomben Cup.<\/p>\n

By coincidence, another grey, Peshwa – last year\u2019s Battle of the Bush hero – won his 2025 heat at Burrandowan.<\/p>\n

Peshwa gets a chance to defend his title in the Battle Of The Bush final at Eagle Farm on June 27 following his success in the contest\u2019s leg at Quilpie.<\/p>\n

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Milton Road and Jess Emmerson were a successful duo at Burrandowan\u00a0 (Photo: Ross Stanley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Peshwa (Chris Whiteley) after taking out Burrandowan’s heat of the 2025 Battle Of The Bush (Photo: Ross Stanley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Another Day Of Firsts<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

The 13th day of a month proved to be fortunate for Jess Emmerson at Texas but O\u2019Connell and his 25-year-old son Reece enjoyed a somewhat miraculous outcome on another 13th … a<\/strong> Maiden at Nanango on September 13, 2025.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wayne, a New Zealander who had partnered a Group 3 winner in his homeland, rode in Western Australia, NSW and Queensland prior to a spiral downwards. Somehow, he survived the rough, tough bleak period and connected with Reece who encouraged him to make a turf comeback.<\/p>\n

The trainer-father legged his 25-year-old for his first race ride and the duo took out that Nanango event on the aptly named debutante, Bon Is Good.<\/p>\n

Later in the program, Reece made it a double on Xuanfeng for his Toowoomba masters, Kylie and Corey Geran; Wayne was atop the narrowly beaten runner-up Party Prophet.<\/p>\n

In a day that exceeded every dream, Reece made it a treble on Depth Charge.<\/p>\n

More recently,\u00a0 O\u2019Connell Snr trained Oakfield Eagle which\u00a0 scored at Nanango (April 4) and Esk (March 7)<\/p>\n

At Wondai, Wayne will be aboard Zena Boy, Merchant Moon, Luminous Waters, Foxtrotting and Rockabye Warrior.<\/p>\n

Reece will be hoping that the Duff name will bring joy again. His booking on Saturday is for Subdue in the finale, the Duff Family Memorial.<\/p>\n

At Burrandowan, Kathy Duff continued her long-standing tradition of presenting hand-made jewellery to the Burrandowan Cup-winning jockey. This year\u2019s recipient was Reece, courtesy of Vic Heading\u2019s charge Flying Rothe.<\/p>\n

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Reece O’Connell brings Xuanfeng back to scale at Nanango in September last year after claiming the narrowest of victories over his father, Wayne, who was aboard Party Prophet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Form Twister<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

All the Wondai acceptors, except the emergencies, had jockeys around the time of Thursday\u2019s deadline.<\/strong><\/p>\n

What was still up in the air at that time was the actual track condition. Rain packs sand down and the surface can feel firmer.<\/p>\n

The following candidates have Wondai credentials to consider: Jain (six starts for three firsts, a second and a third), Paper Cowboy (3:3-0-0), Costa Catori (2:1-0-1), Luminous Waters (2:1-0-1), Igbo (8:1-2-1), The Devastator (4:1-0-1), Daunting Instinct (1:1-0-0), Rapid Dude (2:1-0-0), Dolly Disco (1:1-0-0),\u00a0Amphawa (4:0-3-0), Great Angles (2:0-1-1) and Foxtrotting (1:0-0-1).<\/p>\n

Rodney Hay\u2019s hopefuls Holiday Dreams (3:2-0-1), Ablett (2:2-0-0) and Mamaragan (1:1-0-0) in the opening event, the Parker\u2019s Plumbing and Gasfit Handicap at 1:30pm, are hard to separate.<\/p>\n

Their rivals Hard Landing (4:2-0-1), Sutherland (2:1-1-0), Diggity (6:1-2-2) and Zena Boy (3:0-2-1) also have gone well here.<\/p>\n

The place shown in parentheses after the trainer\u2019s name in form guides is the horse\u2019s training venue.<\/p>\n

Clearly, gallopers prepared at Wondai have prior experience of the surface and layout.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Some fashion ideas? Black & White fashions at Eagle Farm in Brisbane (Photo: Ross Stanley)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Some Reminders<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n