Trainer Tony Gollan has revealed that Group 1 winning sprinter Spirit Of Boom is a chance of contesting the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville in Adelaide on May 10.
Spirit Of Boom scored the narrowest of wins over Fontelina in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley last Friday. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia
Spirit Of Boom is set to have his next race start in the Group 1 T.J. Smith Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on April 12 and could then head to Adelaide for The Goodwood or return to Queensland for races like the Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m), Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1350m) and Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
Gollan told Racing Ahead that the weather would be the deciding factor in the future race starts for Spirit Of Boom; with the leading Brisbane trainer desperate to avoid wet tracks with the son of Sequalo.
“We considered it last year as well,” Gollan said of The Goodwood.
“We would love to go into the winter with him.
“He will have a week off after the T.J. and that is all he needs; he is a very tough, resilient horse who just loves racing.
“It just depends on how the weather is here in winter and how it is down in Adelaide.
“He is a dry-tracker and if we get a wet winter here in Queensland our tracks just can’t handle it at all.
“It would completely wipe him out of Queensland and we would look to Adelaide.”
Spirit Of Boom started his autumn preparation with back-to-back second place finishes at Group 1 level, finishing behind Lankan Rupee in both the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), and was finally able to breakthrough for his maiden win at the highest level of racing in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley last Friday.
Gollan said that the six-year-old had pulled up from the tough win in good condition and had settled into a new stable in Sydney well ahead of the T.J. Smith Stakes.
“He has come through the run really good,” Gollan said.
“He had a couple of days off just walking at Flemington, at the fantastic facilities of Darley where we have been staying all autumn, and then he got on a truck and went over to their Warwick Farm stables.
“He has settled in really well there and had a trot and canter at Warwick Farm this morning.
“All being well he will head to the T.J.; the horse looks really, really well.”
Spirit Of Boom is currently rated a $16 chance in 2014 T.J. Smith betting markets, while stablemate Temple Of Boom is available at the lucrative odds of $101.
