By Glenn Davis
Trainer Tony Gollan is looking past a wide barrier for Outback Barbie at Doomben on Saturday to put the three-year-old in contention for a $500,000 Summer Crown bonus.
Outback Barbie has drawn barrier 14 while stablemate Light Up The Storm will jump from gate four in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate (1350m).
Outback Barbie won a leg of the Three-Year-Old Crown series when she claimed the Listed Mode Stakes at Doomben on December 1 before a last start second to stablemate Zoustyle in the Listed Gold Edition Plate.
The filly needs to win the Vo Rogue and the Magic Millions Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast on January 12 to win the bonus prizemoney.
Zoustyle, who won the Winning Rupert Plate and Gold Edition, was also in contention for the Summer Crown before connections decided to forego the $500,000 bonus and spelled the colt.
Gollan believes Outback Barbie, a Jim Byrne mount, would be a short priced favourite in the Vo Rogue Plate with a better barrier draw but still feels she’s capable of winning.
“It will need an eleven out of ten ride from Jim,” Gollan said.
“It’s going to be difficult from the gate but she needs to be ridden the same way.
“It’s just a matter of getting her to relax in the first half of the race.
“If Outback Barbie had drawn better, she’d be an odds-on favourite.”
Gollan isn’t underestimating the chances of Light Up The Storm, a three times winner in five starts.
He believes the So You Think filly, who finished third to Plumaro at Doomben last month, could develop into a Queensland Oaks filly next winter.
“She’s a very nice filly who I think will get an Oaks trip next winter,” Gollan said.
“The challenge for me is to keep her to sprint racing over the summer and I’m expecting her to run well.”
Gollan will have another big representation of eight runners at Doomben highlighted by Most Important in The Buffering (1350m) and Coldstone in the Listed Bernborough Handicap (1350m).
“Most Important has trained on well and should get the right run,” Gollan said.
“He’s been exploding out of the gates so he should be with the leaders while Coldstone has been terrific.
“He’s got the visitor’s draw and the mile start at Doomben is horrendous so it’ll be a matter of finding a spot in the back straight.”
Racing Queensland webnews December 28