Tony Gollan after another Russell Memorial

The Ken Russell Memorial Stakes is a much sought after race among Queensland trainers and Tony Gollan has an extra reason to remember it.

The race is named after former top Queensland jockey Ken Russell who was killed in a race fall at Rosehill in Sydney in 1993.

Russell was hugely popular in Queensland and in particular at the Gold Coast where he won the jockeys’ premiership seven times.

Gollan won the 2010 Ken Russell Memorial for two-year-olds with Spirit Of Boom.

It sent both Gollan and Spirit Of Boom on an upward spiral towards the elite level.

“It was my first stakes win and also Spirit of Boom’s. At his next start he ran second in the Champagne Classic to a horse of Chris Waller’s which was flying, Press Day,” Gollan said.

“Spirit went on to win two Group Ones and his brother Temple Of Boom won one as well. They gave me a real kick along. So this day always brings back memories.”

Gollan has a fourth Brisbane trainers’ premiership firmly in his grasp and is fast closing in on 50 feature race wins.

He brought up 100 overall winners for the season with a winning double at Toowoomba on Wednesday.

Gollan will saddle Rexx and Revel in the Ken Russell and although they will be big odds he gives them some chance of an upset.

“They both failed at their first runs for varying reasons but they are a lot better than that,’ he said.

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