Trainer Tony Gollan has confirmed that promising colt Looks Like The Cat will start his 2014 Spring Racing Carnival campaign in the Group 2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 13.

Looks Like The Cat has been set for the 2014 Caulfield Guineas. Photo by: Daniel Costello

Looks Like The Cat had just three starts during the 2014 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival, but he was able to stamp himself as a spring contender with a string of impressive performances in the Group 2 Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben on May 10, the Group 2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 24 and the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 7.

The Husson colt was given a short break in the spelling paddock after the J.J. Atkins and has impressed Gollan with the way that he has returned to the stable ahead of his spring preparation.

“He is really good,” Gollan told Racing Ahead this morning.

“He has started doing a big of striding along and faster work during the week and he has come up really well.

“He is obviously off the winter campaign, so it is a short turnaround to the spring and they hold good residual fitness.

“After the short break that he had he has done really well in and I’m really pleased with where he is at.”

Looks Like The Cat was included in the nominations for the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m), Group 1 Caulfield Classic (2000m) and Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) that were released yesterday and the Caulfield Guineas will be the major 2014 Spring Racing Carnival target for the three-year-old.

Gollan said that he will give Looks Like The Cat plenty of time to acclimatise to the Melbourne style of racing and he is looking forward to seeing how the colt performs when he is given an opportunity down the famous Flemington straight in the Danehill Stakes.

“I think that he will really enjoy the straight,” Gollan said.

“1200 will probably be a little bit short and obviously we have races out over a longer distance more in mind for him, but it is a perfect starting point just to get him used to Flemington and I think that Melbourne will suit him.

“He won’t come down until the week of the race.

“Over the last couple of seasons we have been doing that with their horses; getting them fairly fit here in Brisbane or as ready as we can possibly have them and putting them on a plane the week of the race and they get to the races that Saturday.”

Gollan is chasing his second Group 1 victory in Victoria after retired sprinter Spirit Of Boom won the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley earlier this year.