Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan is confident with the strength his stable presents with ahead of the first Group 1 of the 2022 TAB Queensland Racing Carnival.
As of Tuesday afternoon ahead of the delayed Wednesday morning acceptance deadline, Gollan has four chances in the famous Doomben 10,000; Isotope, Vega One, Zoustyle and Baller.
With the eventual racing surface for the event yet to be decided with the impending rainfall expected to hit Brisbane, last year’s Kingsford-Smith Cup champion Vega One is certain to contest the race, regardless of venue, while there is question marks over the other three.
It is set to be decided on Wednesday morning if the Group 1 feature is to be run at Doomben or Eagle Farm.
With plenty of questions still to be answered before the starter lets them go on Saturday afternoon, Gollan remains hopeful that the quartet that are in his barn gives him an excellent chance to win the race again.
“I would have preferred to see better runs out of Zoustyle and Baller at Eagle Farm, but I couldn’t be happier with Vega One and Isotope and where they are at,” he said.
“I have been looking at the race a fair way out and I thought Isotope was the filly I had on top for all of mine for this sort of race.
“I could not be happier with her preparation; it is just about the weather conditions.
“I still think I have got good strength in it, maybe not the depth, but I still think my top seed is probably still right up there with one the better chances in the race.”
It is a race that helped launch the training career of the Darling Downs product.
Gollan ran one-two in the Doomben 10,000 in 2014, with gun stable-mate Temple Of Boom less than a length behind winner Spirit Of Boom.
With uncertainty around Isotope, Zoustyle and Baller – Vega One will be a definite starter come Saturday afternoon in his second-up performance of his campaign.
The six-year-old gelding ran on well resuming in the Group 2 TAB Victory Stakes a fortnight ago and the leading trainer is happy with the way he is building into his 2022 winter preparation.
– Racing Queensland
