Spirit Of Boom’s grand final this campaign will be in Perth but trainer Tony Gollan expects him to be highly competitive in the Group Two Shorts at Randwick on Saturday.
Gollan was impressed with the way Spirit Of Boom finished strongly in the final 400 metres of a Doomben jump-out last Tuesday.
“We rode him nice and quiet, let him get home and he found the line terrific,” Gollan said.
“He won’t be at his top for Saturday but he’s still going to be very competitive.”
The 1200m race is also expected to feature multiple Group One winner Hay List in his first spring appearance.
The Group One Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) at Ascot in November is Gollan’s prime goal for Spirit Of Boom this preparation.
Gollan has a couple of options to choose from for Temple Of Boom after his second to Speediness in the Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington on September 7 when he carried topweight of 58kg.
“I’m not sure what we’ll do with him next – whether we go to the Rupert Clarke in a fortnight or wait another month for the Gilgai,” Gollan said.
“We’ll have a look at both races and see what the weather does.”
Gollan rated Temple Of Boom’s effort in the Bobbie Lewis one of the best of his career.
“He got flushed out a little bit early and I’d love to see him with less than 58kg on his back,” he said.
“His run was terrific and I couldn’t have been more proud of him. It’s certainly up there with his better runs.”
Temple Of Boom’s stablemate Whiskey Allround ran ninth in the Group Two Daneill Stakes on the same day but Gollan is prepared to overlook that defeat.
“You never want to be leading the first time in straight races,” he said.
“It’s a death trap for horses at any age let alone young horses and he did way too much work in the run.”
Gollan says Whiskey Allround performs better when he races with cover and is considering taking him back to a 1000 metre race for three-year-olds at Caulfield on Saturday.
“He’s still a bit young mentally and he’s got to learn a few things before he gets to the next grade but no doubt the ability’s there,” he said.
“I want to go back to the 1000 metres to teach him to settle.
“He’s nominated for the Blue Sapphire and the Coolmore but if we’re not 100 per cent happy with the horse heading into his next run we may even bring him home.”
