Whoomph has bounced through his last-start second to boom colt Royal Symphony and will be given his chance at a stakes race late in his juvenile season.
Co-trainer Troy Corstens has a high opinion of Whoomph who is entered to meet the Tony McEvoy-trained Royal Symphony again in Saturday’s Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington after finishing 3-3/4 lengths behind him over 1400m at the same track.
“We contemplated putting him out after his last start and getting him ready for the spring but he really bounced through that run,” Corstens, who trains in partnership with his father Leon, said.
“We just thought the final is there so we’ve got to have a crack at it. And stepping up to the mile is going to really suit him.”
Whoomph was sent out at a big price at Flemington on June 24 after disappointing on debut on the Pakenham synthetic track 16 days earlier when seventh in a maiden.
“We’ve always had a really good opinion of him and we were actually pretty devastated when he ran the way that he did at Pakenham,” Corstens said.
“It’s come to light since that the surface there is probably not up to every horse’s liking, so when he performed the way he did at Flemington it just confirmed what we thought of him the whole way along.
“He’s always been a very classy horse.”
The Taj Rossi Series Final for juveniles is one of four Listed races on Saturday’s Flemington Finals Day program and the unbeaten Royal Symphony headlines the 14 nominations after coming from last to space his rivals last start.
Whoomph also came from back in the field and beat the third placegetter by 2-1/2 lengths.
Royal Symphony looms as the horse to beat again.
“We’re talking about the favourite for the Caulfield Guineas, so you’ve got to show him the respect he’s due,” Corstens said.
Corstens is hopeful Whoomph could also be a spring player.
“If Royal Symphony is favourite for the Caulfield Guineas, we didn’t finish too far off him last start and I think the mile is going to suit him,” he said.
The Corstens stable is also scheduled to have three-year-old Trump This in Saturday’s Silver Bowl Series Final (1600m).
