Prince Of Boom scores explosive win in Moreton Cup
Prince Of Boom is unlikely to back-up in next Saturday’s $3m Stradbroke Handicap despite scoring a golden ticket into the race with a painless win in the Moreton Cup on Saturday.
Trainer Rob Heathcote initially was set to launch a two-pronged attack on Queensland’s most prestigious race but may now rely on Group 1 warrior Rothfire.
However, there was no taking away from four-year-old Prince Of Boom’s easy frontrunning win in the Group 2 Moreton Cup (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Jockey Tim Clark led them up on Prince Of Boom and the result was never in doubt – it seemed almost as painless as Kovalica’s win in the Group 1 Queensland Derby a week earlier.
Punters who backed Prince Of Boom at $3.90 in the Moreton Cup were always on good terms with themselves.
Far Too Easy charged home from the back to finish runner-up but failed to lock down a Stradbroke start when he could not nail the winner.
“Look, I’m a realist, I know he’s going to find it tough, 1400m around here, but that was a Group 2 today and he put paid to them,” Heathcote said after the race when asked about next week’s Stradbroke.
“He started off with a win in the Ascot Handicap, he ran super in the Victory Stakes behind Rothfire and he’s run in the Doomben 10,000.
“He’s not quite Group 1 class at that level at weight-for-age, but he showed today he’s a serious racehorse.”
Meanwhile, Murwillumbah-based trainer David McColm will weigh up his options after missing out on his Stradbroke dream with Far Too Easy.
The four-year-old got back in the field before flashing late under jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor but was ultimately unable to rein in the flying Prince Of Boom.
“He's an out-and-out 1400m horse, we are so proud of what he did here today,” McColm said.
“We were thinking about a Ramornie Handicap (1200m on July 12) at Grafton, but we might have to have a think because the 1200m is just that bit too sharp for him.”
Tony Gollan-trained sprinter Baller had been 14th in the ballot order for the Stradbroke (which has 18 starters) but Gollan confirmed he would not back-up after finishing down the track in the Moreton Cup.
