Trainer Tony Gollan from Brisbane has sent his talented gelding, Boomtown Boss, south to Flemington for the Aurie’s Star Handicap this Saturday. The aim is to expose the horse to new experiences before his first-up run.
The Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap, run over 1200 metres, could serve as a launching point for a more extensive Melbourne campaign or simply a stepping stone towards the Queensland Summer Carnival.
Gollan is relying on the residual fitness Boomtown Boss gained during the Brisbane Winter Carnival to help him perform well on his first attempt at Flemington’s renowned 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 stated. “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 present an issue for Boomtown Boss.
He indicated that the sprinter performs best on spacious tracks over distances of 1300m or 1400m, suggesting that Flemington’s 1200m straight course would play to his 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 said. “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 added that Boomtown Boss has been in Melbourne for some time, residing at Ciaron Maher’s stable in Cranbourne, and has shown improvement since his arrival.
To provide further experience on the Melbourne circuit, the gelding recently had a trial at Caulfield Heath, 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 mentioned that no definitive plans are in place beyond Saturday’s race, with Boomtown Boss’s performance dictating whether he stays in Melbourne or returns to Queensland.
“It’s a run at a time and it’s more about the experience of him being away,” Gollan explained. “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.”
Former Melbourne-based jockey Daniel Moor, who frequently rides work for Gollan in Brisbane, has been secured to ride Boomtown Boss.
A total of 14 horses have been nominated for the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with final acceptances scheduled for Wednesday morning. Compare the latest Flemington markets with Australia’s leading Australian betting sites.