Trainer Tony Gollan has confirmed that talented filly Traveston Girl will be ridden aggressively in the early stages of the 2015 Fred Best Classic at Doomben tomorrow.
Traveston Girl is one of three Chris Waller-trained gallopers in the 2015 Fred Best Classic field. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Traveston Girl has shown a degree of tactical versatility during her racing career to date, but she has generally produced her best performances when she has taken up the running and she finished second in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield last year as well as third in the Listed Juanmo Stakes (1200m) at Doomben last start.
Gollan is confident that the step-up in trip will suit Traveston Girl in the 2015 Fred Best Classic and the leading Brisbane trainer said that the three-year-olds performance in the Group 3 event will dictate whether she contests the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) or the Group 1 Queensland Guineas (1350m) at Doomben on June 6.
“Traveston Girl is going great and she will relish the step up to 1350 metres,” Gollan aid
“She will lead the race with Gai’s horse Najoom and I think that she will get every chance.
“She will love the trip and this will tell us where we got with her next start – whether we run in the Stradbroke or the Queensland Guineas.
“She is certainly one of our leading chances on the day.”
Gollan also has Hijack Hussy and Feels Like Home in the 2015 Fred Best Classic field, but he believes that Hijack Hussy is his only other genuine chance in the Group 3 event.
Hijack Hussy failed to fire in the Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1200m) at Doomben on May 9 and Gollan admits that the Hussonet filly is a much better horse when given the opportunity to race at bigger tracks like Flemington and Eagle Farm, but he feels that the three-year-old can be a factor in the Fred Best Classic if the Doomben track remains in the soft range.
“Hijack Hussy and Traveston Girl would be our two best chances here,” Gollan said.
“Hijack Hussy is a get back and swoop horse that loves the wet, but she does struggle on these tighter circuits like Doomben and she is a horse that is really missing the Eagle Farm situation here in Brisbane at the moment.”
Traveston Girl is currently available at 2015 Fred Best Classic odds of $7.50 with Ladbrokes, while Hijack Hussy ($19) and Feels Like Home ($101) are both available at much lengthier quotes.
