Miami Fleiss ready for step up in trip

By Glenn Davis

Champion trainer Tony Gollan is confident a last-minute decision to aim talented filly Miami Fleiss for the Pink Ribbon Cup will be rewarded at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

Gollan revealed he originally hadn’t planned to start Miami Fleiss, who will be having her first start over 1300 metres.

“I wasn’t sure about going to the Gold Coast with her until I saw the small number of nominations and changed my mind,” Gollan said.

“I’m super happy with her preparation but going to 1300 metres the first time is always a query.

“Her work this week has been good and she’s hasn’t put a foot wrong since her last run.

“The summer carnival is an option for her later on but she’s not a Magic Millions filly so she’d have to aim for a wildcard race to head that way.”

Miami Fleiss is a daughter of Gollan’s former Group 1 winner Spirit Of Boom and is one of a number of horses he trains for the Black Soil Bloodstock syndicate.

A winner of three from five, Miami Fleiss won her first two starts as a three-year-old by big margins at the Sunshine Coast and Doomben at the start of the year.

She then went into QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast in March as one of the main fancies but failed to fire on a heavy track behind the Rex Lipp-trained Simply Fly.

Miami Fleiss returned from a winter break finishing second to the Steve Tregea-trained Eloquently at Doomben in July before bouncing back to her best with an all-the-way win over 1200 metres at Doomben last month.

“She’s more mature and seasoned now so the time is right to have a go at 1300 metres,” Gollan said.

Miami Fleiss has led in all her three wins but Gollan has warned she doesn’t have to take up a front running role to be successful again.

“If something goes mad and takes her on, I’m confident she can take a sit in behind,” he said.

Gollan also is confident of being in the winner’s stall with stablemates Sugar Boom, Pizonie and The Move who clash in the Open Quality Handicap over the 900-metre dash.

Sugar Boom will be having her first start since fading to finish 10th in the Listed Chief De Beers over 1110 metres at Doomben in May while The Move was an impressive last start winner in a Benchmark race over 1050 metres at Doomben last month.

“Sugar Boom is going well and has come on since the winter while The Move is pretty exciting,” he said.

“The Move is on trial for some better races later on while Sugar Boom will head to Melbourne for a race in a few weeks.”