The Group 2 $200,000 Hiflow Industries Victory Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday will kick off Most Important’s 2018 Winter Carnival campaign.
Most Important, above in maroon and gold colours with white sleeves, will line up in the 2018 Victory Stakes at Doomben. Photo by Daniel Costello.
Trainer Tony Gollan is aiming Most Important towards a Group 1 program in the coming months with the Group 1 $700,000 Kirin Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben on May 12 and the Group 1 $1.5m Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Doomben on June 9 high on the agenda.
“This is a good starting point for him and he only had three weeks off after his Caloundra win,” Gollan told Racing Queensland News.
“He’ll heads towards the Stradbroke but he can always come back in grade if he’s not up to the challenge.”
Gollan gave Most Important a short break after winning the Listed $100,000 Sunshine Coast Cup (1400m) at the Sunshine Coast on January 27 and he said that the gelding looked good in winning a recent 1000m Eagle Farm barrier trial.
“I’m really happy with Most Important and he trialled very well when he won earlier this month,” Gollan said.
Most Important missed last year’s Brisbane Winter Carnival but Gollan sent the gelding to Melbourne in the Spring but he failed to handle the Caulfield track with a thirteenth in the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) and a tenth in the Listed $120,000 Testa Rossa Stakes (1200m).
“I was going to run him in the winter last year but he had a taxing summer campaign and wrenched a joint so I decided to turn him out and aimed for the spring in Melbourne,” Gollan said.
“As it turned out he had two runs at Caulfield in the spring and never handled the track.
“This time I deliberately gave him a light summer with the winter carnival in mind.”
Regular rider Jim Byrne is again on board Most Important who will jump from gate six in the Victory Stakes field that has been reduced to eight runners with the early scratching of the Michael Costa trained Manaya.
Most Important is marked as a $9.50 chance for the Victory Stakes with Ladbrokes.com.au who have the James Cummings trained Impending as the odds on $1.85 favourite.
The Mick Kent trained Supido is next in the betting at $3.80 ahead of David Pfieffer’s three year old filly I Am Excited at $6.
