Toorak Toff is heading to Brisbane for a Winter Carnival campaign

Trainer Rick Hore-Lacy is convinced that Toorak Toff is back to his best in time for the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival after watching him compete in the Group 1 The Goodwood last weekend.

Despite finishing second-last in the race, Hore-Lacy believes the run proved that Toorak Toff is cured of his roaring problem.

Roaring is the commonly used name for a disorder that leads to a partially collapsed oesophagus in horses, which worsens as they exercise making it difficult to breathe.

The three-year-old underwent an operation to correct his collapsed wind-pipe earlier in the year.

Hore-Lacy is not dwelling on his last start performance, but instead his encouraging recovery and absence of any roaring.

“I would just say forget he ran,” Hore-Lacy said.

“It seems to me anything that got back in the race was unable to make ground.

“Quite frankly from an outside gate we had no option but to go back and when you have a look at it, the horse (Eagle Falls) that won the Oakleigh Plate was back there with us turning for home and only beat us a length or so.”

The Goodwood was Toorak Toff’s first run since the trainer discovered his throat problems in December last year.

“He did blow out with about three parts of furlong to go but it was his first run for six months,” Hore-Lacy said.

“There wasn’t a sweat mark on him and he’s gone straight to his feed bin.”

Toorak Toff will now meet Black Caviar in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 later this month before heading to the $1 million Stradbroke Handicap in June.

“He is just a perfect horse for travelling and racing and we are full steam ahead now for the Doomben 10,000 in three weeks time,” Hore-Lacy said.

“The Stradbroke really looks a nice race for him.

“It’s a handicap, 1400m, with the big stretches of Eagle Farm and it will be his third run back in which is ideal.”