Group one winning trainer Tony Gollan is hoping his galloper Topping can put in a good display in the Premiers Cup Prelude (1800m) at Rosehill on Saturday, with the hope of backing the gelding up in two weeks time.
Photo by Racing and Sports
Topping, who has been in outstanding form in Brisbane will make the trip down to Rosehill to take on a small but handy field of stayers, as Gollan eyes off the listed Premiers Cup (1800m) at Rosehill in two weeks.
“We are looking to get him out to the 1800m and hopefully this will be a good trial for the Premiers Cup,” said Gollan.
“He looks pretty well placed for this race and if he can be competitive we will hang around for a fortnight for the next race.”
“If we leave him up here there are only races at the mile which is probably a bit short for him, and this race has been in our mind for around six weeks and his form has been consistent enough up here to warrant a trip to Sydney.”
Gollan has enlisted the services of top jockey Hugh Bowman and from barrier 2 is likely to get the run of the race.
“If we would have drawn wide in this field it would have been a bit of a disadvantage to be honest the way the race looks to be run with a genuine tempo and from that gate he is going to get the lovely run.
“It's a good even field and for a small field it has good tempo in it and every horse will get its chance.
“We are certainly not thinking we have got the money spinner but we are sure on his form that he will be competitive and it will be nice to see where he is at against those sorts of horses.”
The six-year-old son of Top Echelon has only just recently joined the stable having had just the four starts for Gollan, which has yielded three second placings and a last start win at Doomben.
“It's good to put your toe in the water in Sydney and you would expect these are going to be similar sorts of horses that go around in the Premiers Cup.
“It was good timing to try him out in this sort of race and we will not be taking on the best stayers in Sydney, just good hearty stayers with a similar ability.
The Chris Waller-trained Stout Hearted holds current favouritism on Tab Sportsbet fixed odds at $2.30, with Madam Nash and Brave The Way both fighting it out for second favourite.
Topping is currently an $11 chance.
