Tony Gollan’s dominance of the Goldmarket Handicap continued under lights at Gold Coast on Friday as Golden Boom landed the listed feature by a narrow margin.
Challenged late by the Natalie McCall-trained Tiger Shark ($4.60), Golden Boom ($3.50 favourite) won the $160,000 event and notched his seventh win in 18 starts with eight other minor placings.
With a record of four listed stakes wins in Queensland, the state’s premier trainer has intimated that a return south is imminent for the five-year-old gelding.
At his only sojourn outside of his home state, Golden Boom finished second in the Listed Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley last August behind subsequent Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) winner Mornington Glory.
“He’s obviously out of this grade now,” Gollan said.
“He’s getting right up in the weights although sprinters can obviously carry a bit of weight over the shorter distances.
“There’s probably not a whole lot of him through the winter up here, so whether we maybe look to extend his prep down south, I’m not too sure.
“Maybe some short 1000-metre or 1100-metre races might suit him, but I just want to have a little think before we make any concrete plans.”
Golden Boom’s win in the Goldmarket delivered Gollan’s fifth win in the past seven editions of the race.