Trainer Tony Gollan has half-brothers Spirit Of Boom and Temple Of Boom in the 2014 Victory Stakes field and is expecting both to run well in the Group 2 event at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Spirit Of Boom will face half-brother Temple Of Boom in the 2014 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Spirit Of Boom has not been seen at the races since he scored his maiden win at Group 1 level in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21, after he was scratched from the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m), and Gollan told Racing Ahead this morning that he has been happy with the way the Sequalo entire has freshened up after his stellar autumn campaign in Melbourne.
“Spirit is great on top of the ground and we that down in Melbourne for the autumn; he was very, very good behind Lankan Rupee – who looks to be the superstar of Australian racing at the moment,” Gollan said.
“He has come back really good, it has been five weeks between runs, and he has freshened up really nicely.
“His work has been excellent going into this and I think that he will run a hell of a race.”
There looks to be plenty of pace in the 2014 Victory Stakes field, especially after Gerald Ryan elected to bring Snitzerland to Queensland for the Group 2 event, and Gollan said that he will be happy for jockey Tim Bell to settle the six-year-old at the tail of the field when he jumps from barrier seven on Saturday.
“He will settle back,” Gollan said.
“He has drawn seven of eight and we can’t do too much; we won’t be too advantageous on him early and we will settle him back and get some cover.
“Worst case scenario he is eight out of eight, but he has the turn-of-foot and we back him to get over the top of them.”
Temple Of Boom started his 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival campaign with fair performances in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Royal Randwick on March 15 and the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 29, but was disappointing in the Group 3 Sebring Stakes (1200m) at the same venue a week later.
Gollan said that he made a mistake backing Temple Of Boom up so quickly and has been happy with the way the veteran sprinter has progressed since returning to Brisbane.
“He was good in the Challenge and good in The Galaxy, but he was horrible on the quick back-up.
“That was a real trainer error, I won’t be too hard on the old horse, and it was more my fault.
“His work has been really nice as well and he is fit and happy.
“We went with young Tegan (Harrison) and she will take the ride; a bit of youthful exuberance will do him the world of good.”
Spirit Of Boom ($4.20) is currently on the second line of 2014 Victory Stakes betting markets and Temple Of Boom is available at the lucrative odds of $19.
