If the future belongs to those who plan for it, Toowoomba trainer Tony Gollan can bank on a profitable spring carnival in Melbourne later this year.
Gollan left the Gold Coast on Saturday dreaming of spring time at Flemington after his topline sprinter Spirit Of Boom put in a blistering performance to win the $400,000 Magic Millions Cup (1400m).
Well ridden by Ric McMahon, Spirit Of Boom ($7) rattled to the line over the final 400m to score a half-length win and Gollan immediately signed off on a Melbourne campaign later this year.
“I don’t yet know what path we’ll take to get there but he will definitely be in Melbourne in the spring,” Gollan said.
“He’s a fantastic horse and he has really hit his straps this time in.
“He hates rain-affected tracks and he has been plagued with wet surfaces all the way through his career.
“He should have won a lot more races but I get a huge thrill every time he wins.”
McMahon was rapt to record the biggest win of his career and said Spirit Of Boom was well up to winning a top-class race.
“He really let down like a good horse today,” McMahon said.
“As soon as he got to the outside in the straight he sprinted quickly and put them away in a few strides.
“He’s got a good race in him for sure.”
The win was Spirit Of Boom’s second consecutive Gold Coast victory after his Goldmarket success on January 2 and his record now stands at six wins and six placings from 23 starts for earnings topping $680,000.
Gold Coast gelding Startsmeup ($7) ran his usual honest race to finish second with Sydney visitor Latin News ($9) a neck back third.
Punters who launched into Melbourne sprinter Catapulted ($3.40 fav) were in trouble when the horse bungled the start and overraced before he tired to finish a well-beaten 12th.
AAP TURF
