Inigo, purchased as a tried horse from Melbourne for a meagre $1000 a couple of months back, had the misfortune to be involved in a fall at Wagga on August 22 that left his rider Brendan Ward with a fractured vertebrae in his neck.

“The horse inside fell right in front of him,” Witt recalled.

“Inigo went to half jump him but Brendan got catapulted out of the saddle.

“My horse never fell, fortunately, but it was very unfortunate for Brendan.

“You never like seeing those things happen.”

Inigo suffered no physical ill effects.

“He came home that night and ate up. The next day he didn’t appear to be sore anywhere,” Witt said.

Inigo was in top form before the last-start disaster and ranks as a top chance in the Bedrock Landscape Supplies Benchmark 55 Handicap over 1600 metres.

Following an 87-day spell after the purchase, Inigo finished fourth over 1000 metres at Wagga on July 11 then scored over 1300 metres at Wagga on July 25.

“He’s a good type of horse, sound, and has learned his trade and settled into the way we do things,” Witt said.

“He’s got a few characteristics but he likes our routine and I’ve just kept him on the fresh side and happy.”