Australian horse Boom Time continues to please his connections as he prepares to compete on the international stage in the Japan Cup.
The Caulfield Cup winner, who is trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, had a serious hit-out on Tuesday morning on the turf at Tokyo Racecourse.
Stable representative Gary Fennessy, who arrived in Japan with Boom Time last week, said everything had gone smoothly.
“He’s been through the quarantine process and now we’re down in Tokyo,” Fennessy told Sydney’s Sky Sports Radio.
“He had his first serious hit-out this morning on the course proper and he did it very well.”
Fennessy said Boom Time was a tough horse and nothing seemed to bother him.
“It was a bit of a sharp sort of gallop,” Fennessy said.
“We only went over 1400 (metres) and ran home the last 400. But he was very sharp and keen to do it.”
Coming off a Melbourne Cup run over 3200m earlier this month, Boom Time is fit for this weekend’s assignment.
He earned his invitation to contest the Japan Cup (2400m) courtesy of his upset win in last month’s $3 million Caulfield Cup over the same distance, the start before he was unplaced in the Melbourne Cup.
“He ran in the Melbourne Cup and just didn’t run the two miles,” Fennessy said.
“But it was Group One form the fortnight before (in the Caulfield Cup).
“He’s in very good order and I’d expect him to run very well.”
Boom Time is at $26 in the TAB’s fixed odds market with defending champion Kitasan Black the $2.50 favourite.
