What a terrific effort by Tony Gollan to get three runners into the Stradbroke. Most trainers would love to get a single runner in, but for a young up and coming trainer to get three in the biggest race on his home turf deserves a lot of credit.
He has attacked the race in a few different ways, but the most important thing is that all three are peaking at the right time. “Both the Boom horses are very well. Listen Son has had a few little setbacks like wet tracks etc, but he has bloomed the last three weeks also.” Gollan said.
I also asked Tony to split Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom on a dead track. “Very little between them and it would be luck in running” was all I got from him.
Gollan has always thought Spirit Of Boom had a lot more to show and at the end of his last preparation he put together a couple of devastating wins on a hard Gold Coast track that suited him perfectly. Outside of the winners in the 10,000 he was the best run in the race. The reason he is some chance to turn the tables is the big drop in weight. He will meet Buffering and Sea Siren 4kg and 5kg better off in the Stradbroke. Ric McMahon rides and he is a key ingredient to the horse performing well. Tony has had trouble of a few preps getting a jockey that suits and wants to stay with the horse. Since McMahon has been on top he is showing good form and is right up to his grand final Saturday.
Temple Of Boom is a Group 1 winner and he has a few positives on his side also. The expected dead/slow surface will be spot on for him, but also getting to the bigger track is a massive bonus. His biggest wins have been at the big open tracks like Flemington and Randwick. The 1400m is as far as he wants, but his run was full of merit in the Doomben 10,000 and a similar performance has him in as a chance Saturday.
The barrier draw for the Stradbroke will be done around midday Wednesday and I’m sure Tony will be hoping for barriers around the middle of the field for his runners.
Gollan also said that he is settling in well to his new surrounds at Eagle farm and has been there for around 3 weeks now. He has had a successful year to date and you can bet that will continue into the new racing season when it kicks off and he has the majority of his horses with him at Eagle Farm.
**For more on Tony click on our ‘Trainers’ page and the Gollan Racing banner.
