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By Julieanne Horsman

Leg injuries can often spell the end of a racehorse’s career but sometimes with the correct rehabilitation they can bounce back.

Consoling is a perfect example of this and a little over 12 months after suffering a hairline fracture in his near foreleg, he will debut in the Buy A Cup Day Marquee Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Wagga on Tuesday.

“He is a striking horse and I would describe him as the pick of the yard,” co-trainer Paul Jones said.

The three-year-old gelding by multiple group 1 winner Monaco Consul from Carnegie Hikari put in an eye-catching performance to win a 900m trial at Canberra late last month.

He kicked away to win by half a length from Mossman Gorge and more than six lengths from the rest of the field.

“We were very impressed with his trial and Matthew Dale has a high opinion of Mossman Gorge so it’s all positive,” Jones said.

Consoling's story has all the makings of a racing fairytale.

He was purchased on BloodstockAuction.com for just $1,000 by Daniel Riley and Alex Creighton – Canberra-based business partners who had never owned a racehorse before.

He was at the bottom of their shortlist but by the time they made their move, the other horses had been sold so they snapped him up.

“We have always wanted a share in a racehorse and because the price was right we took a chance and hoped he would be fine,” co-owner Daniel Riley said.

“As young blokes growing up in Cooma we had a friend who owned horses trained by Barbara Joseph so we looked her up and thankfully she and son Paul Jones agreed to take the horse on.

“We’re at the stables almost every day visiting him now.”

Jones started Consoling off with some slow work and after a couple of weeks was confident the injury had healed.

“It’s clear the original owners did everything right to give him the best chance of making a complete recovery,” Jones said.

“He had eight months box rest after the hairline fracture was diagnosed and there are no longer any signs of it.

“He has shown enough for us to think he will be competitive tomorrow but he is bred to get over distance so we are looking forward to seeing what he is capable of down the track.”

View the fields, form and race replays for Wagga here.