Eagle Farm trainer Tony Gollan has his fingers crossed that today’s forecast rain can sidestep Doomben and give his Doomben 10,000 chance Spirit Of Boom a good racing surface for Saturday.
Spirit Of Boom needs a good track to produce his best form. Photo by Steve Hart.
Wet track duffer Spirit Of Boom needs a good track in the Group 1 $650,000 Carlton Mid Doomben 10,000 (1350m) to produce his best form and Gollan is confident the five year old has a good chance to be amongst the placegetters if conditions suit.
“His run in the BTC Cup wasn’t too bad considering he absolutely hates wet ground. I was a bit nervous about running him on the heavy track and I did think about scratching him that day,” Gollan said.
“Wednesday is a real worry day, because if there is much rain at all that will affect his chances.’
Even though Spirit Of Boom was beaten nine and a half lengths by Your Song in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm on May 11, Gollan was fairly pleased with the run on the heavy track.
Spirit Of Boom has shown in the past that he can mix it in Group 1 company with a third on a good track behind Mrs Onassis in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield in the Autumn and a third to Barakey in the Group 1 $500,000 Crown Perth-Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot during the Perth Summer Carnival.
Spirit Of Boom pleased Gollan with his first up effort when second to Buffering in the Group 2 $175,000 Coca-Cola Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on April 27 and will again bump into the Robert Heathcote trained sprinter and Your Song on Saturday.
Heathcote is also confident that Buffering can turn the tables on Your Song after blowing the start in the BTC Cup and was struggling to get into the race after that while the Anthony Cummings trained colt handled the heavy conditions to perfection.
Buffering is yet to win at Group 1 level after fourteen attempts but Heathcote is looking forward to Saturday after his charge finished a gallant second to Sea Siren in last year’s race, but admits it won’t be easy.
“It looks like being an absolutely stellar Doomben 10,000,” Heathcote said.
“You’ve got Your Song who is already a Group 1 winner, you’ve got Buffering who is knocking on the door, Sea Siren who won the race last year and Better Than Ready who is one of the early market favourites for the Stradbroke.
“I think it’s going to be a truly great race.”
