Grand galloper Temple Of Boom has reached a fork in his career path as he tries to end a long run of outs in the Victory Stakes.
Seven-year-old Temple Of Boom will be joined in the Group Two sprint by his stablemate and close relation Spirit Of Boom as they both return from Sydney campaigns.
Spirit Of Boom is off to stud after the Stradbroke Handicap in June but his older half-brother Temple of Boom’s future is not as clear.
Trainer Tony Gollan said he would use Saturday’s race as a guide to exactly where Temple Of Boom would be going.
“He hasn’t won since the 2012 Galaxy but his Sydney form was better than it looked,” Gollan said.
“He ran a good race in the Challenge Stakes, then he swallowed a lump of mud in the Galaxy.
“Then I think I made a mistake backing him up in the Star Kingdom Stakes because he hates Rosehill and has never raced well there.”
Gollan said Temple of Boom had a short stay at a spelling complex but had worked well on his return to his stable.
“Look, I put him in the Victory Stakes to see where he is,” he said.
“If he can’t run in the first five on a Good 3 (track) against these horses he might be just kept to wet tracks.
“Also I might spell him and set him for the Melbourne spring or we could even set him for the Brisbane summer races. He is a Magic Millions horse and the money is good around that carnival as well.”
Temple Of Boom, who has won $1.3 million in prize money, will be ridden by star apprentice Tegan Harrison on Saturday.
Spirit Of Boom has also done well since returning to Brisbane.
“We scratched him from the TJ Smith in Sydney because of the wet,” Gollan said.
“I am not prepared to risk him on wet tracks any more. His only bad run in the past 14 months was on a bog track in the BTC Cup last year.”
Gollan said Spirit of Boom had worked like a fresh horse on Tuesday and was ready to race well.
“Weather permitting he will run in the BTC Cup, Doomben 10,000 and then the Stradbroke before heading off to stud,” he said.
