Coin Toss to make Brisbane debut

By Glenn Davis

Coin Toss will have some big shoes to fill for new trainer Tom Dougall after he makes his Queensland debut at Doomben on Saturday.

The galloper was previously prepared by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable.

The former Sydneysider steps out for the first time for Dougall in the Open Handicap over 1200 metres.

Dougall is looking for his next good horse to replace former stable star Go Wandji who was retired last year.

“We’ll keep trying but I doubt I’ll get another horse like Go Wandji,” Dougall said.

“Horses like him comes along once in a blue moon.”

A one-time fancy for the Stradbroke Handicap two years ago, Go Wandji never made it to the big dance after his career was plagued with breathing problems which required two surgeries.

A son of Wandjina, Go Wandji was a $20,000 bargain buy for Dougall’s father John.

He won eight of his 19 starts before retiring with more than $240,000 in prizemoney.

Go Wandji had his last start when he beat three home in a 1200 metre Benchmark race at Eagle Farm in June last year.

Coin Toss – a Sean Cormack mount – has drawn well in barrier three for his first stable run for Dougall.

“I’ve had him for about three months and he’s had a couple of jump-outs,” Dougall said.

“I’m not expecting too much and I’d just like to see him finish off the race strongly.

“He’ll need the run first-up and he’ll improve a lot before he steps up further in distance next start.”

The five-year-old did his early racing in Singapore where his biggest win was in the Singapore Guineas before being sent to Waterhouse and Bott for a tilt at the Golden Eagle in Sydney in 2023.

However, after running in both the Silver and Golden Eagles, he was spelled and returned for a first-up win in the Listed National Sprint at Canberra in March last year.

He was spelled again after his next two starts in the Group 3 Doncaster Prelude at Randwick and Tamworth Cup last autumn before embarking on a Melbourne spring campaign last year.

Coin Toss ran first-up in the Listed Weekend Hussler at Flemington last October before placing in the Listed Sale Cup in October.

A son of Flying Artie, Coin Toss hasn’t raced since finishing third in the Peninsula Cup over 1600 metres at Mornington last November.