A hometown Group 1 win is high on the priority list for trainer Tony Gollan and he has a double chance to achieve that with his ‘Boom Brothers’ in the $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Temple Of Boom, above, and stablemate Spirit Of Boom will line up in the BTC Cup. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Gollan is still in honeymoon mode after celebrating his marriage to Jane Ormsby last Saturday but will be well and truly back in business this Saturday when he saddles up half-brothers Tempe Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom in the first Group 1 of the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom have both won Group 1s interstate, but Gollan is desperate to win a Group 1 in his own backyard.
“If I can win a Group 1 in my own backyard, that will be a dream come true,’’ Gollan told The Daily Telegraph.
“I’ve won two Group 1s, the two boys have won one each, and I think they’re both live chances in an open race on Saturday.’’
Temple Of Boom provided the Eagle Farm trainer with his first Group 1 win twelve months ago when he beat Nobby Snip and Ladys Angel in the $350,000 The James Boag Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick during the Sydney Autumn Carnival.
Then Spirit Of Boom broke through for his Group 1 victory after several placings when he nosed out Fontelina in the$400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley during this year’s Melbourne Autumn Carnival.
The ‘Boom Brothers’ showed that they are both on track for Saturday’s weight for age sprint when the they ran the quinella in the Group 2 $175,000 Greenslopes Private Victory Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on April 26.
Older brother Temple Of Boom, at the long odds of $41, caused a huge upset when he rolled his more fancied stablemate Spirit Of Boom who was sent out the second favourite at $4.
The favourite for the race, the Gerald Ryan trained Snitzerland ($2.40), was a close third and if the weather remains fine, will line up again against the ‘Boom Boys’ on the weekend.
“I think they’re both in really good shape,’’ Gollan said.
“Temple is going as good as he’s ever gone. It sounds silly because he’s older.”
“I’m not sure if Spirit knows he got beat the other day because he hit he line that hard.”
“Weather will play a big part. They’ve forecast rain for the end of the week, which isn’t ideal for Spirit.’’
While Gollan is hoping for a home town Group 1 win, his toughest opponent will be local hero Buffering who is also searching for his first Group 1 win on home soil after collecting a hat trick of Group 1 victories during the Spring last year.
Buffering and Darley three year old Sidestep share favouritism for the BTC Cup at $3.20 ahead of Spirit Of Boom and Hot Snitzel at $8, Snitzerland at $9 and Temple Of Boom at $11.
