Trainer Tony Gollan of Brisbane has dispatched talented gelding Boomtown Boss south to Flemington for the Aurie’s Star Handicap this Saturday. The move is intended to take the horse out of his usual environment before his first-up run.

The Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap, a 1200-metre race, could potentially serve as the starting point for an extended Melbourne stay or simply be a stepping stone on the way back to Queensland for the Summer Carnival.

Gollan is relying on the residual fitness Boomtown Boss acquired during the Brisbane Winter Carnival to give him a strong chance in his first attempt at Flemington’s famous straight track.

“I was having a preparation with him in the winter that started off well and then I really just ran out of luck with him,” Gollan commented. “I decided to abort it and it’s a long time to our summer. He’s a horse that I think a bit of travel will bring him on quite a lot. He’s a very busy horse at home and very comfortable in his own environment and I’ve noticed with a few of the horses that are like him, if you can get them away and get them into a new area, it brings them on mentally and that’s what I feel like I can do with this bloke. On his best form he is up to a race like this, as you can see by his runs during the winter, and I just thought travelling him would be ideal for him.”

Gollan does not foresee any issues with the straight track for Boomtown Boss.

He suggested that the sprinter is well-suited to expansive tracks and distances around 1300m to 1400m, believing Flemington’s 1200m straight course would play to these strengths.

“He’s a horse that likes a bit of room, that can get into his gallop and unleash a good turn of foot,” Gollan said. “Without him being down the straight, and it being an unknown, he probably profiles well enough from what we’ve seen on big tracks like Eagle Farm, to really enjoy the straight.”

The trainer confirmed that Boomtown Boss has been in Melbourne for some time, based at Ciaron Maher’s stable in Cranbourne, and has shown improvement during his stay.

A recent trial at Caulfield Heath was conducted to provide the gelding with more exposure to Melbourne racing conditions, and he appears to be thriving.

“We know the residual fitness of the winter carnival up here carries over in the early stages of the carnival down there.”

Gollan stated that no firm plans are in place beyond Saturday, with the horse’s performance in the Aurie’s Star Handicap to dictate his future racing plans.

“It’s a run at a time and it’s more about the experience of him being away,” Gollan remarked. “Hopefully he runs really well, as we expect, and maybe we could look to go to another race, but we could also bring him home for the summer. It really is a week-by-week thing for the horse.”

Daniel Moor, a jockey who previously rode in Melbourne and frequently rides for Gollan in Brisbane, has been booked to partner Boomtown Boss.

A total of 14 horses are entered for the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with final acceptances scheduled for Wednesday morning. Consider the racing odds for the event.