New Zealand trainer Jeff Lynds says Booming has improved for the Moonee Valley Cup which will bring him on again for the next month’s Melbourne Cup.
Lynds said he had gradually lifted Booming’s work rate through his campaign and is keen for him to perform well at the Valley on Saturday.
At his Australian debut this campaign the son of Don Eduardo was beaten just over a length when fifth to Foreteller in last Saturday’s Group Three Coongy Handicap (2000m) at Caulfield.
“He will improve from that race,” Lynds told Radio Sport National.
“We are just in the throes of getting the skittles lined up so he can run in the (Melbourne) Cup.”
Lynds, who also has Wall Street in Saturday’s Cox Plate, knows Booming can run 3200 metres after he finished second to Zavite in the Auckland Cup (3200m) last year.
The seven-year-old’s Group One record also includes wins in the Zabeel Classic (2000m) and the Thorndon Mile (1600m) last summer.
Booming has only 52.5kg in the Melbourne Cup and, 31st in order of entry, seems assured of a start.
“He’s a good horse and has a double cross to Sir Tristram in his line,” Lynds said.
“He’s very versatile, he has a good turn of foot, and we have just got to get him in the zone which is what we are working on at present.”
Booming is a forgotten horse in Moonee Valley Cup markets and is on the sixth line with TAB Sportsbet at $11.
Last year’s Geelong and Melbourne Cup winner Americain makes his Australian return in the Moonee Valley Cup and is the $3.30 favourite ahead of Tullamore ($4.40) who finished third in last Saturday’s Caulfield Cup.
Last-start Herbert Power Stakes winner Shewan is $6.50.
One of the outsiders at $41 is New Zealander Harris Tweed who, trained by Murray Baker, has struggled for form since finishing second in last year’s Caulfield Cup and fifth in the Melbourne Cup.
“He did have a wind operation in the autumn but we don’t think it is affecting him at all,” Baker said.
He said the blinkers go back on the six-year-old on Saturday in the hope of sparking a form turnaround.
“He raced a good part of his career in blinkers and we are just hoping he can run a much improved race on Saturday which he is going to need to do,” Baker said.
AAP TURF
