Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has sent his talented gelding, Boomtown Boss, south to Flemington for Saturday’s Aurie’s Star Handicap, aiming to broaden the horse’s experience.
The Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap over 1200 metres could serve as a launching pad for a Melbourne campaign or simply a preparatory race before a return to Queensland for the Summer Carnival.
Gollan is banking on the residual fitness Boomtown Boss gained during the Brisbane Winter Carnival to give the horse every chance to perform well on his first attempt down Flemington’s famous straight track.
“I was having a preparation with him in the winter that started off well and then I really just ran out of luck with him,” Gollan said. “I decided to abort it and it’s a long time to our summer. He’s a horse that I think a bit of travel will bring him on quite a lot. He’s a very busy horse at home and very comfortable in his own environment and I’ve noticed with a few of the horses that are like him, if you can get them away and get them into a new area, it brings them on mentally and that’s what I feel like I can do with this bloke. On his best form he is up to a race like this, as you can see by his runs during the winter, and I just thought travelling him would be ideal for him.”
Gollan expressed confidence that the straight track would not pose any problems for Boomtown Boss.
He believes the sprinter is best suited to large tracks and distances around 1300m to 1400m, noting that Flemington’s straight 1200m should play to these strengths.
“He’s a horse that likes a bit of room, that can get into his gallop and unleash a good turn of foot,” Gollan stated. “Without him being down the straight, and it being an unknown, he probably profiles well enough from what we’ve seen on big tracks like Eagle Farm, to really enjoy the straight.”
The trainer mentioned that Boomtown Boss has been stabled in Melbourne for a while now, residing at Ciaron Maher’s Cranbourne stable, and has been improving since his arrival.
A recent trial at Caulfield Heath was held to give the gelding more experience on the Melbourne circuit, and he appears to be thriving.
“We know the residual fitness of the winter carnival up here carries over in the early stages of the carnival down there.”
Gollan indicated that no firm plans have been made beyond Saturday, with the gelding’s performance in the Aurie’s Star Handicap set to determine his future.
“It’s a run at a time and it’s more about the experience of him being away,” Gollan said. “Hopefully he runs really well, as we expect, and maybe we could look to go to another race, but we could also bring him home for the summer. It really is a week-by-week thing for the horse.”
Daniel Moor, a jockey who has ridden for Gollan in Brisbane and is a former Melbourne resident, has been booked to ride Boomtown Boss.
A total of 14 horses have been entered for the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with final acceptances due on Wednesday morning. Explore betting markets for the race.