Looks Like The Cat to tackle Caulfield Guineas

Brisbane’s leading trainer Tony Gollan will target the Caulfield Guineas and the Caulfield Classic in the Caulfield section of the Melbourne Spring Carnival with rising three year old Looks Like The Cat.

Looks Like The Cat will tackle the Caulfield Guineas and the Caulfield Classic in the Spring.

Looks Like The Cat will tackle the Caulfield Guineas and the Caulfield Classic in the Spring. Photo by Daniel Costello.

Gollan has selected the Group 1 $1m BECK Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 11 and the Group 3 $750,000 Caulfield Classic (2000m) at Caulfield a week later as the two main Spring targets.

The Melbourne Racing Club has put up a $250,000 bonus for any three year old that wins the Caulfield Guineas – Caulfield Classic double which is what Gollan has his eye on.

Gollan, who is on the verge of winning his first Brisbane trainer’s premiership, failed to win a race with Looks Like The Cat over the Brisbane Winter Carnival, but the Husson two year old was placed three times from three starts in Group company.

Looks Like The Cat caught the eye with a flashing second to Brazen Beau in the Group 2 $175,000 Bollinger Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben on May 10 and followed that up with a third to Time For War in the Group 2 $250,000 Mitavite BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 24.

Gollan then stepped the gelding up to 1600m and he was beaten in a tight finish by Almalad and Brazen Beau when third in the Group 1 $500,000 Tatts Group J.J. Atkins at Eagle Farm on June 7.

“I think we saw him at his best when he got out to the mile on the bigger track (in Brisbane) and that’ll be the same in Melbourne,” Gollan told RSN’s Racing Ahead.

“I think we’ll see him at his best Guineas Day and also when he backs up in the 2000-metre race the week after.”

Gollan has had a memorable season and as well as taking out the trainer’s title, was able to win a Group 1 on home soil when Spirit Of Boom and stable mate Temple Of Boom ran the quinella in the  $650,000 James Boag’s Premium Doomben 10000 (1350m) at Doomben during the Winter Carnival.

The Doomben 10000 win made it a Group 1 winning double for Spirit Of Boom who also took out the  $400,000 Hacer Group William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley earlier in the year during the Melbourne Autumn Carnival.

In early Caulfield Guineas markets, Ladbrokes.com.au have the J J Atkins winner Almalad the $9 favourite with Looks Like The Cat sharing the second line of beating at $11 with the Mark Kavanagh trained Chivalry and Meursault from the John O’Shea stable.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.