KEY POINTS:
Bruce Wallace is going to get a T-shirt made saying: "We got EI and survived."
The Takanini trainer was ecstatic yesterday when Grand Dancer became the first horse to win a barrier trial in Australia since equine influenza hit with devastating effect 3 1/2 months ago.
Wallace said one of the biggest disappointments of his training career was when Grand Dancer succumbed to EI in Sydney as he was preparing him for a Guineas/Cox Plate campaign in Melbourne.
Winning Australia's first barrier trial held since then went a long way towards easing that pain.
Eight heats were held at Randwick yesterday morning.
Of the 63 horses that showed up, 40 belonged to Gai Waterhouse, 19 were produced by David Payne and Grand Dancer was one of the remaining four.
"I swear he's grown one and a half inches in the three months he's been in confined spaces," said an excited Wallace.
"He's whacked on muscle and has looks to die for. I'm just really pleased.
"The main thing is his breathing was good after the trial.
"My girl Katie Kenyon, who has been looking after him for the three months, has done a remarkable job."
Racing resumes in Sydney on the first weekend of December and Wallace said he is still mapping out what to do with the talented Grand Dancer.
All horses in New South Wales are still locked into the state.
"Colin Tuck, the racing manager here at Randwick, told me there are going to be a couple of listed Stakes races in December and possibly a group three race. "The real money here won't come until the autumn carnival in March.
"The option would be to give him a start in December, then back off him for a month.
"I could have spelled him now, but that would mean he'd have had too long away from racing and training. I don't want him to get too colty."
Wallace said one of the interesting aspects of EI is how the horses have coped being locked down into a stable for three months or more.
"Everyone's been watching how their horses are after virtually being prepared like the Europeans in being boxed all day when they're not used to it.
"Some seem to have coped well, others not so well.
Even if he was delighted with Grand Dancer, Wallace was still reminded of EI - because he was coming back to his own New Zealand horses he couldn't afford to allow himself anywhere near Grand Dancer or any other horse.
"I had to watch everything through binoculars from a distance."
Immediately he left Randwick Wallace headed to the Sydney offices of Centrelink to apply for a $40,000 hardship grant for his EI losses, which is underwritten by the New South Wales government.
