Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom will get another chance to face off in the BTC Cup in two weeks after the Tony Gollan trained pair ran the quinella in the Group 2 $175,000 Greenslopes Private Victory Stakes(1200m) at Eagle Farm today.
Temple Of Boom hangs on to win the Victory Stakes. Photo by Daniel Costello.
The rank outsider of the field at $41, Temple Of Boom took on the favourite Snitzerland ($2.40) and winning jockey Tegan Harrison wasn’t going to let the Sydney mare have any peace in front.
Harrison served it up to Snitzerland from the start and fought on tenaciously to finally get the better of the Gerald Ryan trained mare at the fifty metre mark before holding off his fast finishing stablemate Spirit Of Boom ($4) to score by head.
Snitzerland was gallant in defeat and was only another head away in third spot.
Even though the result was a surprise to most racegoers, Gollan was proud that his two top sprinters are back in form leading into the Brisbane Winter Carnival.
“I told Tegan to ride him wherever he felt comfortable,” Gollan said.
“It was a brave ride from Tegan and I’m very proud of her.
“I told her it might not be pretty as she might have to sit three wide which is what happened.
“The tempo of the race dictated who was going to win and it was a great effort from Spirit Of Boom to come from so far back.
“They are both very good horses and it looks like we could have a very good carnival ahead.”
Today’s victory was Temple Of Boom’s first since winning the Group 1 $350,000 The James Boag Galaxy (1100m) at Randwick during the 2012 Autumn Carnival and he will get his chance at another Group 1 win when he take on Spirit Of Boom and possibly Snitzerland again in the Group 1 $400,000 Bundaberg Distilling Co. BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben in a fortnight.
And Spirit Of Boom will also be looking for his second Group 1 victory after taking out the Group 1 $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on March 21.
While Gollan has trained Group 1 winners interstate, today’s win was his best on Queensland soil while Harrison was able to produce her best win of her career with a tenacious ride.
“That was very special win for me. I’ve won a few Listed races here before and Group 1’s in the south but I’ve never won a Group race in Queensland until now,” Gollan said.
“That was also Tegan’s best win of her career and I got just as big a thrill for her as I did winning it for myself.
“I think Tegan is a very good rider and has a very bright future.”
After the BTC Cup, Gollan will continue on the Group 1 path and aim his two top line sprinters towards the $650,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10,000 (1350m) at Doomben on May 24 and the $1.36m AAMI Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.
