A win by Gojo Mimo in a stakes race at Doomben would be perfectly timed for trainer Brad Herne.
Gojo Mimo will be having his first start since running second in Sydney a month ago when he faces his stiffest task to date in Saturday’s $100,000 Listed Falvelon Handicap.
Herne is one of several young trainers in Brisbane who have gradually been building their teams to be genuine forces in metropolitan racing.
He has trained 12 winners this season with a competitive 15 per cent winning strike rate.
However, winning a stakes race would help boost his stable further at a time when many trainers are chasing owners for yearlings bought at recent sales.
“It is obvious you have to keep replacing your stock with quality horses,” Herne said.
Gojo Mimo has been a great money spinner for Herne, winning six races and $168,000 in prize money.
“He has done well since coming back from Sydney. He had a week out on the water walker and he will be fit enough,” Herne said.
“We ran into a wet track in Sydney and while he gets through it we really wanted a dry surface.
“One thing it doesn’t really matter where he draws because he is so fast out of the barriers.”
Meanwhile, trainer Gerald Ryan’s decision to send Red Excitement and Dances On Stars to Melbourne means promising Right Or Wrong is likely to start the shortest-priced favourite of the day.
Ryan had planned to send one of his horses to Brisbane and the other to Melbourne but connections of both wanted to go south.
Right Or Wrong, the winner of his past two starts, was a late scratching from Doomben last week and will instead run in the Height 4 Hire Handicap on Saturday.
“We didn’t want to risk him on a really wet track last week. Hopefully, he can win and boost his ratings for the winter carnival races,” trainer Lindsay Gough said.
